Mount Everest , the highest camp on the world's tallest mountain, remains littered with garbage , posing a significant environmental challenge that experts say will take years to address. A recent cleanup effort, led by a team of Sherpas and funded by the Nepal government, highlighted the gravity of the situation.
The team, comprising soldiers and Sherpa s, successfully removed 11 tons (24,000 pounds) of garbage, four dead bodies, and a skeleton from Everest during this year's climbing season. However, according to Ang Babu Sherpa, the team leader, as much as 40-50 tons (88,000-110,000 pounds) of garbage still remain at South Col , the last camp before climbers attempt to reach the summit.
“The garbage left there was mostly old tents, some food packaging, gas cartridges, oxygen bottles, tent packs, and ropes used for climbing and tying up tents,” Ang Babu said quoted AP. He explained that the refuse is layered and frozen at the 8,000-meter (26,400-foot) altitude of South Col, making it difficult to remove.
Since Everest was first conquered in 1953, thousands of climbers have scaled its heights, often leaving behind more than just their footprints. In recent years, government mandates requiring climbers to bring back their garbage or forfeit their deposits, along with increased environmental awareness, have significantly reduced the amount of trash left behind. However, the remnants of earlier expeditions still pose a major problem.
“Most of the garbage is from older expeditions,” Ang Babu noted.
The cleanup operation faced numerous challenges, particularly due to the harsh weather conditions and the thin air at high altitudes. The Sherpas focused on the higher-altitude areas, while soldiers worked at lower levels and the base camp. The spring climbing season, with its relatively favorable weather, provided the best opportunity for the operation.
Ang Babu described the difficulty of working in the South Col area, where oxygen levels are about one-third of normal, winds can swiftly turn to blizzard conditions, and temperatures can plummet. “We had to wait for good weather when the sun would melt the ice cover. But waiting a long time in that altitude and conditions is just not possible,” he said.
One particularly challenging task was digging out a body frozen in a standing position deep in the ice near South Col. It took the team two days to retrieve it, interrupted by deteriorating weather conditions. Another body, located higher at 8,400 meters (27,720 feet), took 18 hours to drag down to Camp 2, where a helicopter picked it up. The bodies were subsequently flown to Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital in Kathmandu for identification.
Of the 11 tons of garbage removed, three tons of decomposable items were taken to villages near Everest's base. The remaining eight tons were transported by porters and yaks, and then by trucks to Kathmandu, where it was sorted for recycling by Agni Ventures, an agency managing recyclable waste.
“The oldest waste we received was from 1957, and that was rechargeable batteries for torch lights,” said Sushil Khadga of Agni Ventures.
When asked why climbers leave garbage behind, Khadga explained, "At that high altitude, life is very difficult, and oxygen is very low. So climbers and their helpers are more focused on saving themselves."
The team, comprising soldiers and Sherpa s, successfully removed 11 tons (24,000 pounds) of garbage, four dead bodies, and a skeleton from Everest during this year's climbing season. However, according to Ang Babu Sherpa, the team leader, as much as 40-50 tons (88,000-110,000 pounds) of garbage still remain at South Col , the last camp before climbers attempt to reach the summit.
“The garbage left there was mostly old tents, some food packaging, gas cartridges, oxygen bottles, tent packs, and ropes used for climbing and tying up tents,” Ang Babu said quoted AP. He explained that the refuse is layered and frozen at the 8,000-meter (26,400-foot) altitude of South Col, making it difficult to remove.
Since Everest was first conquered in 1953, thousands of climbers have scaled its heights, often leaving behind more than just their footprints. In recent years, government mandates requiring climbers to bring back their garbage or forfeit their deposits, along with increased environmental awareness, have significantly reduced the amount of trash left behind. However, the remnants of earlier expeditions still pose a major problem.
“Most of the garbage is from older expeditions,” Ang Babu noted.
The cleanup operation faced numerous challenges, particularly due to the harsh weather conditions and the thin air at high altitudes. The Sherpas focused on the higher-altitude areas, while soldiers worked at lower levels and the base camp. The spring climbing season, with its relatively favorable weather, provided the best opportunity for the operation.
Ang Babu described the difficulty of working in the South Col area, where oxygen levels are about one-third of normal, winds can swiftly turn to blizzard conditions, and temperatures can plummet. “We had to wait for good weather when the sun would melt the ice cover. But waiting a long time in that altitude and conditions is just not possible,” he said.
One particularly challenging task was digging out a body frozen in a standing position deep in the ice near South Col. It took the team two days to retrieve it, interrupted by deteriorating weather conditions. Another body, located higher at 8,400 meters (27,720 feet), took 18 hours to drag down to Camp 2, where a helicopter picked it up. The bodies were subsequently flown to Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital in Kathmandu for identification.
Of the 11 tons of garbage removed, three tons of decomposable items were taken to villages near Everest's base. The remaining eight tons were transported by porters and yaks, and then by trucks to Kathmandu, where it was sorted for recycling by Agni Ventures, an agency managing recyclable waste.
“The oldest waste we received was from 1957, and that was rechargeable batteries for torch lights,” said Sushil Khadga of Agni Ventures.
When asked why climbers leave garbage behind, Khadga explained, "At that high altitude, life is very difficult, and oxygen is very low. So climbers and their helpers are more focused on saving themselves."
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