Garbage as far as the eye can see New images from Everest cause horror
The highest mountain in the world is drowning in garbage: a recent video from the last camp before the summit of Mount Everest shows tents in a storm - and piles of garbage at an altitude of almost 8,000 meters. At the same time, Everest is experiencing an unprecedented rush of mountaineers.
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- Garbage instead of mountain idyll: recent videos from the last camp before the Everest summit show mountains of garbage at an altitude of almost 8,000 meters.
- Record on the world's highest mountain: According to the Kathmandu Post, 1008 people reached the summit this spring - more than ever before.
- Problem remains unsolved: Despite a deposit system, controls and clean-up campaigns, the authorities are unable to get the flood of garbage on Everest under control.
The latest pictures from Camp 4, the last camp before the summit of Mount Everest, show a problem that has plagued the world's highest mountain for years. Oxygen bottles, packaging, broken equipment and other garbage lie between flapping tents that are being shaken by strong gusts of wind.
Everest has long borne the unflattering nickname "the world's highest garbage dump". The images appear in a season in which the mountain is experiencing a new visitor record: according to the Nepalese newspaper "Kathmandu Post", a total of 1008 mountaineers and mountain guides reached the summit of Everest this spring - more than ever before.
Eight kilograms of waste per person
The causes of the waste problem lie primarily in the mass rush to the mountain. Hardly any climbers travel alone. Each person is joined by mountain guides, porters and other personnel. Tons of equipment are transported to the high camps. Some of it is left behind.
According to estimates, each person produces an average of around eight kilograms of waste during an Everest expedition. Added to this is human excrement, which has been a further environmental problem for years.
Global warming is also causing more and more waste to emerge from the melting ice - including the remains of expeditions that took place decades ago.
Why the measures only have a limited effect
Nepal has been trying to counteract this for years. A deposit system was introduced back in 2014: Anyone who wants to climb Everest has to deposit several thousand US dollars and only gets their money back if they bring at least eight kilograms of waste to base camp. Large clean-up campaigns are also regularly organized, during which tons of garbage are removed from the mountain.
Stricter regulations have also been in force since this season. Climbers must now prove that they also bring back waste from the higher camps. In addition, special waste bags are issued and checked to reduce pollution caused by human waste. The NGO Sagarmatha Pollution Control Committee wants to relieve the heavily polluted camps 3 and 4 in particular.
Despite all the measures, the problem remains. Control at extreme altitudes is difficult and many expeditions move outside of direct supervision. At the same time, the pressure from more and more visitors is growing. Many experts are therefore warning that clean-up operations alone will not be enough. As long as more and more people are crowding onto Everest, the mountain of garbage on the roof of the world is likely to continue to grow.
