Extreme temperatures on Mount Everest mean that poo does not break down.
Now climbers have to carry their feces down the mountain with them.
– Our mountains have started to stink, says Mingma Sherpa, chairman of the Pasang Lhamu region.
Litter has long been a problem in the area around the world’s highest mountain, Mount Everest. The increase in the number of climbers ascending the mountain and extreme temperatures have also led to problems with faeces in the area, reports the BBC.
– We receive complaints that human excrement is completely exposed and that some climbers have become ill. It is completely unacceptable and spoils the image of our area, says Mingma Sherpa.
The solution – selling poo bags
In the past, climbers have dug a hole in the snow to relieve themselves in. On the last stretch up to the top, however, there are sections with less snow, where the climbers have had to relieve themselves completely openly.
As part of trying to sort out the problems with litter and faeces, new rules are being introduced in the area. The climbers who are going to climb Mount Everest or the nearby Mount Lhotse will need to buy special poo bags. When climbers return to base camp, bags will be checked.
– Waste is still a big problem. Especially in the high-altitude camps that cannot be reached, says Chhiring Sherpa, CEO of the organization Sagarmatha Pollution Control Committee.
The bags bought from the USA contain chemicals that are supposed to solidify the faeces and make them almost completely odorless. Each climber should bring two bags, which should be able to be used five to six times.
Three tons of feces on the mountain
Extensive clean-up campaigns are carried out in the area every year, including one led by the Nepalese army.
The organization Sagarmatha Pollution Control Committee, which is run by the residents of the area, works to get the garbage in the area in order. There is no official figure, but the organization estimates that there are around 3 million tons of poo, between the first and last camp on the stretch towards the top of the mountain.