playground and casual sport for the wealthy

Master Kungga Dundruk brings up the point that “When climbing at extreme altitude (such as the notorious death zone at around 8,000 m or 26,000 ft), the survival comes first… abandoning used gears and other unnecessary stuff would be considered as a wise decision to keep one’s stamina” (Dundruk 2020).

Nevertheless, the Northeast and Southeast Ridge are contaminated by overpopulation, human waste, and garbage that leak out of the glaciers. The issue has been so concerning that the Nepalese government works with various NGO’s on projects to recycle the empty oxygen tanks and fine climbers for failure to bring back their waste. Tibet deals more with the plastic waste like “beer bottles, coke cans, and wrappers of foods” (Dundruk 2020).

A more sinister reality of Everest waste is the human toll. At least 310 people have died on Mt. Everest since 1953. Because of the dangerous conditions, retrieving these bodies is nearly impossible. As one of the largest fresh water resources in Asia, contamination from dead bodies and the thousands of tons of human waste is a major concern for the population that relies on the watershed.

The issue with the commercialization of Everest, besides the ecological toll left by garbage and waste, is the impact it has on the indigenous population. It is largely wealthy White climbers who can afford the 30,000-130,000 cost of climbing that rely on native Sherpas to not only guide them, but ensure their survival and clean up after them. According to one student magazine, “A Western guide can expect to earn around $50,000 per season while the average Sherpa will only make approximately $4000” (Fouquere 2023).

Indigenous populations are being exploited and their resources depleted by tourists and Western fueled climate change. As climate change and over tourism cause detrimental effects that are requiring governments to shut down travel to certain areas, we reach a turning point as a society as to where our footprint should land. It is paramount that we are more responsible for the environment that we are guests of.

And maybe even start to appreciate that some places are meant to be seen in pictures.

Sources

https://www.tibettravel.org/tibet-everest-basecamp-tour/everest-environmental-issues.html https://www.ucf.edu/pegasus/too-manytourists/#:~:text=Though%20tourism%20to%20Ever est%20brings,camp%20following%20a%207.8%20ea rthquake https://bullandbearmcgill.com/the-tragic-overcommercialisation-of-mount-everest/