Mounting garbage at the base camp of Mount Everest has prompted authorities to shut it down temporarily for tourists. The move is seen as an unusual measure to deal with mounting waste problem at the site. It’s a part of massive clean-up campaign by China and Nepal, which claims the area has been swamped by human waste, debris and frozen dead bodies.
Now, only 300 climbers a year with specific permits will be allowed to legally trek past a monastery that's at an elevation of around 17,000 feet.
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Reuters
Those who have mountaineering permits would be allowed to go the base camp at an altitude of 5,200 metres, or higher.
The limited number of mountaineers allowed beyond the base camp will have to adhere to stricter rules to protect the environment.
China designates the area of the reserve over 5,200 meters (17,000 feet) above sea level as the “key area”.
The total number of climbers seeking to summit Mount Everest, the world’s highest peak at 8,850 meters (29,035 feet) will be limited and climbing season will only be open during the spring.
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The Chinese base camp, located in Tibet, is popular as it is accessible by car, whereas the Nepalese camp can only be reached by a trek of almost two weeks.
AP
The clean-up efforts include the recovery of dead bodies of climbers who died at more than 8,000 meters (26,246 feet) up the mountain.
Every year, almost 60,000 climbers and guides visit the Chinese side of Everest.
In a bid to clear trash, China has set installed stations to sort recycle and break down garbage from the mountain, including plastic bags, cans, stove equipment, tents and oxygen masks.
Nepalese expedition organisers have begun to send huge trash bags with climbers to collect trash that can then be lifted by helicopters back to the camp.
Over the past few years, world’s highest mountain has turned into the world's highest-altitude garbage dump. According to a 2016 report, local Sherpas remove 11,793 kg (26,000 pounds) of human faeces from the mountain every season, dumping it in trenches in a nearby village.