Thursday, February 15, 2024: Nepal tackles the “poop” problem on Mount Everest
Mount Everest is 8,849 meters high – and it is full of rubbish. Tons of rubbish have accumulated there because many visitors find it too idle to take their rubbish back with them. The result: the epic mountain landscape disappears more and more under broken tents, abandoned clothing, old oxygen bottles, food packaging and excrement. Up to now, mountaineers have mostly left their droppings on the mountain, where it is preserved in the ice and does not rot. There are now so many “heaps” at altitude that Nepal now sees a need for action. Starting with this year’s peak spring season, it will be mandatory for climbers to use poop bags and bring their waste with them when descending back to base camp, where there are toilets. Mingma Chhiri Sherpa, a high-ranking representative of the responsible municipality of Pasang Lhamu, confirmed this to the German Press Agency. The new requirement is also intended to prevent mountaineers from indirectly ingesting human waste when they heat snow to obtain drinking water. A temporary office in the base camp will ensure that the new guidelines are implemented.