Climbers will now have to bring back their trash
Given how the world's tallest mountain peak is quickly becoming the world's highest garbage dump, the Government of Nepal's recent directive that climbers bring back their trash — at least eight kilogrammes of it — could not have come a day soon. Issued on Monday, the guidelines are meant for those going beyond the base camp, and are similar to previous anti-litter rules. Already, climbers who return without collecting trash are liable to lose their $4,000 security deposit — although this rule has hardly been enforced. However, the authorities now seem to be more concerned and it is hoped that they will crack the whip forcefully, as this year's climbing season begins. Over the past six decades, since Edmund Hillary and sherpa Tenzing Norgay conquered Mount Everest in 1953, more than 4,000 people have scaled those heights — and they have left behind an estimated 50 tonnes of garbage. The waste includes empty oxygen canisters, torn tents, discarded food containers, leftover equipment, as well as human excreta and the bodies of climbers who died on those treacherous mountain slopes. Indeed, Mount Everest has become particularly filthy in recent years as the number of people on the trail has surged. Many of the climbers are not seasoned mountaineers but rich tourists who enjoy adventure sports and climb Mount Everest because it adds yet another feather to their cap. This has brought forth a horde of issues, such as overcrowding and brawls with sherpas and other tourists, which have also sparked safety concerns. But, primarily it has fuelled the garbage pile-up since amateurs often leave behind food and used supplies on their way up to the summit, so as to travel light. To make matters worse, none of this — including the dead bodies — ever degrades on Everest. Because of the extreme cold, it just freezes and gets preserved for posterity.
Thankfully, in recent years, concerned mountaineers have made a concerted effort to fight the menace. For instance, since 2008, Asian Trekking in collaboration with the International Center for Integrated Mountain Development, the United Nations Environment Programme, and the Government of Nepal, has been conducting the annual Eco Everest Expedition, exclusively for the purpose of clearing out rubbish. Similarly, in 2013, the Indian Army teamed up with its counterpart in Nepal and together they collected over 4,000kg of garbage. The year before, a group of 15 artists used the garbage brought back by climbers to create new pieces of art. The Mt. Everest 8848 Art Project I held its first exhibition in November 2012, which showcased artworks made from 1.5 tonnes of garbage that included the remains of a helicopter which had crashed into the slopes during the 1970s. Much of the proceeds from the exhibition was given to organisations that are studiously working to clean up Mount Everest. It’s bad enough that the plains are dirty. let’s at least leave the mountains clean.