Since the peak was first conquered in 1953, thousands of climbers have scaled it and many have left behind more than just their footprints.
The highest camp in The highest mountain in the worldIt’s littered with trash that will take years to clean up.according to a Sherpa who led a team that worked to remove trash and unearth bodies frozen for years near the summit of Everest.
The team of soldiers and Sherpas funded by the Nepalese government removed 11 tons of garbage, four bodies and a skeleton of Everest during this year’s climbing season.
Ang Babu Sherpa, who led the Sherpa team, said that there could be between 40 and 50 tons of garbage still on the Collado Sur (‘South Col’), the last camp before the climbers attempt to reach the summit.
“The trash that was left there was mostly old storessome food containers and cartridges gas, Oxigen bottlesstore packages and ropes used for climbing and tying down tents,” he said, adding that The garbage is in layers and frozen at 8,000 meters of altitude where the Collado Sur camp is located.
In recent years, the government requirement that climbers return their trash or forfeit their depositsalong with a greater raising awareness of climbers about the environment, has significantly reduced the amount of abandoned garbage. However, The same did not happen in previous decades.
“Most of the rubbish comes from older expeditions,” explains Ang Babu.
The team’s Sherpas collected garbage and bodies from the highest altitude areaswhile soldiers worked on the lower levels and in the base camp area for weeks in the popular spring climbing season, when weather conditions are most favorable.
Dangerous conditions make the task difficult
Ang Babu said that the weather meant a great challenge for your work in the Collado Sur areawhere oxygen levels are about a third of normal, winds can quickly turn into blizzards, and temperatures plummet.
“We had to wait for good weather and the sun to melt the ice sheet. But waiting a long time with that attitude and those conditions is not possible,” he says. “It’s difficult to stay with him for a long time. very low oxygen level“.
Take out the trash It is also a big task, since it is frozen inside the ice and breaking the blocks is not easy.
Of the 11 tons of garbage removed, three tons of decomposable items were taken to villages near the base of Everest and the remaining eight were transported by porters and yaks and then taken by truck to Kathmandu. There they were sorted for recycling at facilities managed by Agni Ventures, an agency that manages recyclable waste.
“The oldest waste we received dates back to 1957and they were rechargeable batteries for flashlights,” explains Sushil Khadga of the agency.
Why do mountaineers leave trash? “At that high altitude, life is very difficult and oxygen is very scarce. So climbers and their helpers focus more on saving themselves,” explains Khadga.
