The surroundings of Everest are filled with garbage
The area around Everest, the highest peak in the Himalayas, is littered with garbage. It can take years to clear the debris that has accumulated over the years and to dig out the bodies from the ice. This information was given by a Sherpa who works with garbage and dead bodies on the top of Everest.
A team of Nepalese soldiers and Sherpas removed 11 tons of garbage, four bodies and a skeleton during this year’s Everest climbing season. And the government of Nepal has funded this campaign.
Ang Babu Sherpa, who led the team of Sherpas, said, ‘There may still be 40 to 50 tons of garbage in the South Col. This is the location of the camp before climbers attempt to summit Everest.’
Most of the garbage dumped there is old tents, some food packaging, gas cartridges, oxygen bottles, tent packs and ropes used for tying tents.’
He also said, ‘At an altitude of 8 thousand meters (26 thousand 400 feet), the garbage is layered in frozen state. And this is where the South Col camp is located.’
Thousands of climbers have climbed the mountain since it was first conquered in 1953. Many of them have left behind their footprints as well as much more.
In recent years there has been an increased awareness among mountaineers about bringing back their own litter.
Along with this, the awareness among mountaineers about the environment has increased. As a result, the amount of waste produced has been significantly reduced. But this was not the case in previous decades.
Aung Babu said the weather was a big challenge for their work in the South Cole area. Because the oxygen level there is about one-third of the normal amount. Winds can quickly produce blizzards along with dropping temperatures.
“We had to wait for good weather,” he said. Because the heat of the sun had to wait for the ice cover to melt. But in that situation, it is not possible to wait for a long time. It is difficult to stay for long as the oxygen level is very low.
He also said, ‘It took two days to dig out a dead body from deep in the snow near South Col. After partially completing the task, the team had to return to the lower camp, as the weather had turned unfavorable by then. The rescue had to be done again after the weather improved.
