Nepal wants climbers on Mount Everest to carry their feces back to base camp and stop leaving them on the mountain. Starting this year’s main season in spring, mountaineers will be required to use poop bags.
The new rule is aimed at curbing landscape pollution, Mingma Chhiri Sherpa, a senior representative of the Pasang Lhamu municipality responsible, confirmed on Friday.
In addition, there is always the fear that mountain climbers could indirectly ingest human feces when they heat snow to obtain drinking water. To enforce the new rule, the municipality wants to open a temporary office at the base camp.
The poop problem is big now
There are toilets at the base camp itself, says authority worker Khimlal Gautam, who has climbed Everest himself. But higher up the mountain, climbers have to relieve themselves outside – and the defecation problem is now serious.
In addition to feces, there is also a lot of other waste on Everest – such as broken tents and clothing, food packaging, stoves, empty water bottles, beer cans and oxygen bottles. The 8,849 meter high mountain has gained fame as the highest garbage dump in the world.
Problem is not new
The Himalayas, home to some of the highest mountains in the world, have been trying to combat the problem for some time. Cleaning crews are sent out repeatedly and trash bins are placed on the region’s hiking trails. Some forwarding companies have been voluntarily using poop bags for a long time.
Source: Krone
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