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Ever since the two brave climbers Tenzing Norgay of Nepal and Sir Edmund Percival Hillary of New Zealand set foot on the top of the world´s highest peak via South East Ridge route on May 29, 1953, the Mt Everest has remained the ultimate destination of every mountaineer.
Over 4,200 climbers have already set foot on this 8,848 meter peak so far, setting various world records in the mountaineering history. But as Wednesday marks the diamond jubilee of the first human ascent of the Mt Everest, one primary concern is being raised from various quarters: Can we preserve the pristine beauty of the Mt Everest?
As reports of unmanaged garbage strewn along the snowy trail leading to the summit grabs headlines time and again, many even suggest the authorities should limit the number of climbing permits issued every season and enforce stricter rules against garbage disposal.
Five-time Everest climber Pasang Onchu Sherpa said the government should limit the number of permits issued every season to a few hundred. “Besides, the government should strictly impose restrictions on leaving garbage along the trail,” argued Sherpa, who conquered the Mt Everest from Tibet side on April, 22, 2013.
Sherpa, who scaled the Mt Everest for three times from the Nepali side and two times from the Chinese side, shared that China has properly managed garbage on its side of the Mt Everest by issuing fewer permits and enforcing restrictions on garbage disposal.
“Though we can find a large number of dead bodies lying on the way due to poor rescue management, we can hardly find any garbage on the Chinese side of the Mount Everest,” he added.
Sherpa suggested to the government to issue permits only to small teams with experienced Sherpa climbers to avoid casualty. “Many casualties are found to have taken place as the climbers did not hire experienced Sherpa guides,” he added.
Japanese climber Yuichiro Miura, who holds the world record as the oldest person to conquer Mount Everest, said, “During my first ascent, Mt Everest was pristine. But I found a lot of garbage along the way during my summit this time. I am very much worried about the situation.” Miura returned to Kathmandu on Thursday after scaling the Mount Everest on Monday. He had first conquered the Mt Everest in 2003.
While 406 climbers had made it to the top of the Mount Everest in the year 2012, the number of climbers has already reached to 512 till date this year.
Government officials, however, appear averse to the idea of limiting the number of permits issued each year. “We should instead focus on managing the expeditions properly. Hundreds of people climb mountains in Europe and the US every day, but there is no such problem,” argued Chief of Tourism Industry Division under the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation (MOCTCA)
Officials say occasional traffic jams are seen as “fair weather window” on Everest opens only for 4-5 days every year and this is the time when all the climbers attempt to reach the summit. Though there are two seasons -- autumn and spring -- for climbing the Mt Everest, most of the climbers prefer climbing the peak only during spring season, said officials.
Chief of the Tourism Industry Division Bhattarai said though concerns are being raised over haphazard garbage disposal on the Everest, there is not much garbage above camp III. “Teams have been deployed to collect garbage at the base camp. The situation is not as bad as the media tends to portray,” he said. Moreover, Sagarmatha Pollution Control Committee (SPCC) checks pollution in the region. The climbers who bring back oxygen cylinders, for instance, to base camp are paid good amount of money as an incentive.
Also, various campaigns are launched time and again to collect garbage in the Everest region. As part of such campaigns, a joint team of the Nepal Army and Indian Army recently collected 4,010 kg of garbage.
Tulasi Ram Bhandari, who successfully climbed the Mount Everest in 2011 as a member of the Everest Expedition Team of Nepalese Civil Servants, believes that stricter regulations and fewer permits alone won´t make much difference. “It is more important to make all climbers aware that they should not throw garbage haphazardly along the trail,” said Bhandari.
Year Ascents
1953 to 2000 893
2001 64
2002 89
2003 159
2004 165
2005 112
2006 193
2007 257
2008 385
2009 367
2010 364
2011 377
2012 406
2013 512 till date
In a piece entitled The New Age of Exploration published in the National Geographic (June, 2013), Everest Summiteers Mark Jenkins has suggested the following six ways to repair Everest.
Fewer permits: To limit the total number of climbers and Sherpas on the mountain
Smaller teams: To reduce dangerous traffic jams on the standard southeast Ridge route
Certify outfitters: To make sure that they meet acceptable standards of safety and mountain knowledge
Required experience: To ensure that climbers and Sherpas are prepared for high-altitude challenges
Leave no trace: To remove human waste and garbage from the mountain, with penalties for noncompliance
Remove bodies: To show respect not only for the dead but also for the living, who encounter corpses on main routes.
Key records on Everest
1953 Tenzing Norgay and Edmund Hillary May 29 First ascent
1975 Junko Tabei May 16 First woman
1978 Peter Habeler and Reinhold Messner May 8 First Ascent without bottled oxygen
1980 Krzysztof Wielicki February 17 First winter ascent
1988 Lydia Bradey October 14 First woman without oxygen
1993 Pasang Lhamu Sherpa April 22 First Nepali woman
1998 Thomas Whittaker First handicap (one leg artificial)
1999 Babu Chhiri Sherpa First climber to spend longest time (21 hrs) on top
2001 Erik Weihenmayer May 25 First blind person
2008 First Inclusive Women’s Sagarmatha Expedition First all women expedition
2011 Apa Sherpa May 11 Most ascents (21 times)
2011 Nine Nepali civil service personnel May 18
2012 Ngim Chhamji Sherpa May 19 Youngest (16 years)
2012 Kame Sherpa May 19 Reached summit thrice in nine days
2013 Sudarshan Gautam May 20 First double amputee
2013 Raha Moharrak May 19 First Arabian woman
2013 Arunima Singh May 21 First female amputee
2013 Yuichiro Miura May 20 Oldest (80 years)
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