Climber and trekker numbers have skyrocketed in the past 20 years, exacerbating Mount Everest’s trash problem, say these academics.
This picture taken on May 23, 2010 shows a Nepalese sherpa collecting garbage, left by climbers, at an altitude of 8,000m at Mount Everest . MIDDLETOWN, Connecticut: Spring is go time for climbers who hope to summit Mount Everest , Earth’s highest peak above sea level. Hundreds of mountaineers from around the world travel to Asia in April and May, headed for base camps in Nepal and Tibet.
Climbers who aim to summit Everest typically spend up to two months on the mountain, including weeks making short, incremental ascents above base camp and back down again. This enables them to acclimate to the altitude before climbing to higher camps and then to the summit. At the base camp, microplastics - likely from discarded mountaineering clothing, tents, ropes and boots - have been found in water and snow samples. High levels of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, widely known as “These substances could pose health risks for transient climbers, but are a more serious threat for people who live in the nearby settlements of Gorak Shep, Lobuche, Dugla and Pheriche for most of the year.
In 2014, the government of Nepal began requiring every mountaineer who climbs above the Everest base camp to bring back 8kg of solid waste from the mountain or forfeit a US$4,000 deposit. Of course, if you’ve paid US$75,000 or more for the trip, losing the deposit may not be much of an incentive. Many people elect to forfeit it.
The COVID-19 pandemic delayed implementation of the plan, which proposes creating a five-step process: Waste segregation, collection, sorting and shredding, transfer to shipment stations and transportation to recycling facilities in Kathmandu.Commentary: Travellers are hoping for a fare shake-up as airlines reap record profits
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