Why Mount Everest climbers will have to carry their poop to base camp

Mountaineers and adventurers from all around the world have always held Mount Everest in high regard. The world’s highest peak’s growing popularity has, however, raised environmental concerns, which has prompted authorities to enact new rules. Climbers will now need to bring their own poop bag back to the base of the mountain to dispose of their faeces. The new effort is being introduced in the run-up to the main Everest climbing season, which spans March through May. Let’s take a closer look. Climbers to carry poop bags According to BBC News, it is now mandatory for climbers who want to climb both Everest and the nearby mountain Lhotse to purchase specialised poop bags at base camp. Upon their return, these bags will be inspected to make sure they adhere to the new waste management guidelines. The Pasang Lhamu rural municipality, which is in charge of the majority of the Everest region, made the decision and is carrying out these actions as a part of a larger effort to protect the environment of the mountain because “they have begun to stink,” the report said. [caption id=“attachment_13708392” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] Climbers are estimated to excrete 250 grammes of waste each day on average. AFP[/caption] This is because the region’s extreme temperatures prevented the excrement from completely degrading. Mingma Sherpa, Chairperson of Pasang Lhamu rural municipality, told the British outlet, “We are getting complaints that human stools are visible on rocks and some climbers are falling sick. This is not acceptable and erodes our image.” Introducing required poop bags is a step in the right direction towards solving Everest’s growing poop problem. This move, together with continued cleanup efforts, is intended to help restore this famous peak’s dignity and protect climbers’ and the nearby environment’s health. Mount Everest’s poop problem About 600 climbers attempt to conquer the 29,029-foot mountain each year, spending several weeks in the region to acclimatise, as per The Telegraph. Although there are plenty of restrooms at Everest base camp, problems arise as climbers begin to aim for the summit. As per The Guardian, climbers spend weeks acclimatising around the four camps set up between the base camp at 5,300 metres (17,380 feet) and the 8,850 metres-high (29,035 feet) summit. The camps have tents and some essential equipment and supplies, but do not have toilets. Nevertheless, once they start climbing, they usually dig a hole to poop in, but in certain places there isn’t as much snowfall, so climbers have to defecate outside. When trekking to the top of Mount Everest, which can take weeks, very few people bring their waste back in biodegradable bags, reported BBC. Even though there have been more clean-up efforts, including an annual one headed by the Nepali Army, rubbish is still a major problem on Everest and other mountains in the area. ‘Open toilet’ The CEO of the non-governmental Sagarmatha Pollution Control Committee (SPCC), Chhiring Sherpa, emphasised that waste is a major issue, especially in the upper camps that are hard to get to. [caption id=“attachment_13708382” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] Garbage collectors collect rubbish at the deserted Everest base camp, approximately 5,300 meters above sea level, in Solukhumbu. Reuters[/caption] Three tonnes of human excrement are thought to be dispersed throughout the lower and upper camps, with half of it being concentrated in South Col, also known as camp four for climbers attempting to reach the summits of Lhotse and Everest, according to SPCC estimations. At 7,906 metres (25,938 feet) above sea level, South Col is infamous for being an “open toilet” because there isn’t any snow or ice to cover up human excrement, reported BBC. The unattractive conditions were confirmed by international mountain guide Stephan Keck, who told the British news channel, “There is hardly any ice and snow, so you will see human stools all around.” How poop bags can solve the problem Approved by the rural municipality of Pasang Lhamu, the SPCC is currently importing over 8,000 poop bags from the United States for an expected 400 foreign climbers and 800 assistants for the forthcoming climbing season. Climbers are estimated to excrete 250 grammes of waste each day on average. Typically, they seek to reach the summit by spending roughly two weeks at the upper camps. “With that as the basis, we plan to give them two bags, each of which they can use five to six times,” Chhiring explains to the channel. “It certainly is a positive thing, and we will be happy to play our part to make this successful,” said Dambar Parajuli, president of the Expedition Operators Association of Nepal. According to him, his organisation had recommended that this be implemented as a test project on Everest before being repeated on other heights. The use of such bags to manage human excrement has been explored and proven on other summits, according to Mingma Sherpa, the first Nepali to climb all 14 mountains above 8,000 metres. “Mountaineers have been using such bags on Mount Denali (the highest peak in North America) and in the Antarctic as well, that is why we have been advocating for it,” says Mingma, an advisor to the Nepal Mountaineering Association, told BBC. The proposal will aid in cleaning up the mountain, according to international mountain guide Keck, who reiterated the same message. Improper implementation of mountaineering rules The central government of Nepal has issued several regulations pertaining to mountaineering in the past. However, many of them have drawn criticism for improper implementation. The lack of liaison officers on the ground is one of the primary causes. At the base camps, government representatives are expected to accompany expedition teams; however, some officials have faced criticism for their non-attendance. “The state has always been missing at base camps leading to all kinds of irregularities including people climbing our mountains without permits,” Mingma, the chairperson of the Pasang Lhamu rural municipality, tells BBC, adding, “This will all change now. We will run a contact office and make sure our new measures, including making climbers bring back their excrement, are implemented.” A little more than 6,000 people are reported to have climbed Mount Everest, according to the Himalayan Database. Over 11,000 ascents of Mount Everest have been completed, 5,700 of which were by Nepalese climbers. Thus, over 11,850 summit ascents have been recorded since 1953, when it was first conquered by New Zealand climber Edmund Hillary and his Sherpa guide, Tenzing Norgay. Hundreds of others have died in the attempt, while many have succeeded only with help from oxygen tanks, equipment porters and Sherpa guides, as per The Guardian. With inputs from agencies