After visiting a climbing gym with friends this summer, I briefly entertained the idea that I might someday summit Everest. Although my initial optimism has since waned, I afterward went down a rabbit hole of Moutain Everest documentaries. Each documentary posed an almost insurmountable problem: the accumulating waste on Everest.
Beyond Camps Three and Four, climbers face steeper terrain, increased physical exertion, and the need to rely on oxygen tanks. Unfortunately, many climbers shed their used gear once it's no longer needed, leaving thousands of empty oxygen canisters, tents, and waste on the once-pristine slopes. For individual climbers, it’s beneficial to discard used gear to lighten their descent. However, this practice diminishes the experience for others by contributing to the significant litter problem on Everest. The complexity of cleanup is further compounded by the fact that only experienced climbers can perform such tasks, and each climber is limited to carrying an additional 25–30 pounds.
What's the solution? The Nepalese government plans to impose an additional $4,000 fee per climber, raising the cost of a foreign permit to nearly $15,000, and limiting the number of climbers each season. In a sense, Nepal is creating a market for climbers (litterers) and placing an extra tax on them to combat the peak's desecration. While this policy may aid future cleanup efforts, the current solution still relies heavily on the goodwill of climbers to protect the mountain from becoming an even larger landfill.
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