Kathmandu, 28 May: Active climbers have expressed concern over increasing human activity on Mount Everest, climate change, the growing accumulation of waste, and the declining interest of Sherpa youth in mountaineering.
The risks in mountaineering are not only increasing due to avalanches, rapid snowmelt, expanding crevasses in the Khumbu region, and the rising competition to summit Everest, but also because of the mounting human waste left on the mountain. In addition, the profession is facing challenges as Sherpa guides are increasingly leaving the field due to low wages relative to the risks they take, inadequate insurance or compensation, and unequal facilities.
Pemba Chhiring Sherpa, who has successfully summited Everest 25 times, said that although the Sherpa community has played a key role in promoting Nepal and its mountaineering sector, they have long faced discrimination from the state. He stated, “Guides who play a crucial role in successful ascents do not receive risk-based pay, do not get insurance comparable to foreign climbers, and face inequality even in the recognition provided by the state. As a result, the younger generation is losing interest in mountaineering. The government’s lack of attention to education, healthcare, and other basic needs of climbers’ families has also made their future uncertain.”
He further added that the government has also failed in managing experienced climbers, emphasizing that the knowledge and experience of retired climbers should not be ignored.
Dawa Sinju Lama, who returned to Kathmandu after summiting Everest for the 10th time this spring season, said that while foreign climbers’ families receive substantial compensation and even assurance of higher education for their children in case of death, Nepali climbing support staff are limited to compensation of only NPR 1.5 million.
Tulsingh Gurung, President of the Nepal National Mountain Guide Association, pointed out that although mountain tourism is a major source of income for Nepal, the state needs to take more effective steps to address the problems faced by guides, who are considered its backbone.
He said, “Climbing support staff undertake extremely risky responsibilities such as fixing ropes, preparing routes, and carrying oxygen cylinders and essential supplies. However, the main credit after a successful climb often goes to foreign climbers or expedition companies. On one hand, these workers lack proper identity, and on the other, the state has imposed the same 15 percent tax on workers in the plains and those working in highly sensitive high-altitude regions, which is discriminatory.”
Another climber, Jamchung Bhote, stated that the mountaineering guide license issued by the state does not meet the standards of the International Federation of Mountain Guides Associations. He also expressed concern that the entry of politics into mountaineering is damaging the sector’s reputation.
Indian climber Prem Kumar Singh, who summited Everest in 2013, said that increasing human traffic on Everest has led to climbers’ deaths. According to him, the growing number of climbers causes traffic jams in the “Yellow Band” area, where climbers have to wait in line for hours, leading to a drop in body temperature and sometimes death. He emphasized that the government should establish clear standards to better manage expeditions, as even inexperienced climbers are joining expeditions.
He also noted that Everest is becoming increasingly polluted with plastic, oxygen cylinders, tents, and human waste left behind by climbers, stressing the need to protect both the mountain and the local environment.
As of Wednesday during the ongoing spring climbing season, more than 900 climbers have successfully summited Mount Everest.
