On the world’s highest mountain, Mount Everest, the once pristine South Col camp is now a dumping ground for garbage and frozen bodies. A team led by Ang Babu Sherpa cleared 11 tons of trash, four bodies, and a skeleton during this year’s climbing season. Despite this effort, there could still be 40-50 tons of garbage left at the campsite.
The garbage consists of old tents, food packaging, gas cartridges, oxygen bottles, tent packs, and climbing equipment left behind by previous expeditions. Ongoing efforts to clean up Everest have been successful in reducing the amount of waste left behind, but challenges persist due to the harsh weather conditions and high altitude.
The team faced extreme conditions, including low oxygen levels and blizzards, while retrieving bodies and clearing debris. Despite these challenges, the team managed to remove the waste, with some items dating back to 1957, for recycling in Kathmandu.
This cleanup highlights the impact of human activity on the environment and serves as a reminder to climbers to respect the mountain and properly dispose of their waste to preserve the natural beauty of Everest.
“At that high altitude, life is very difficult and oxygen is very low. So climbers and their helpers are more focused on saving themselves,” said Sushil Khadga.
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