Everest 2014: Nepal Takes Control of Everest, and Climbers

Guns at Everest Camp 2 in 2008The criticisms surrounding Everest appear to have had an impact on the Nepal Ministry of Tourism with new, and somewhat concerning, policy changes impacting the 2104 season. While I support the spirit of the changes, the implementation will be interesting to follow. To be clear, everyone wants to climb in a clean and safe environment.

Many people will read the headline that Nepal is requiring climbers to remove trash, and applaud, assuming that Everest climbers act irresponsibly, without regard for the mountain or future climbers; but there is much more to this headline. Sadly the news from TV to radio to outdoor magazines and websites are reporting a sensational version of the story.

There are two recent announcements: education and trash collection.

Climbing Etiquette

Just announced was a requirement that all climbers attend a “special pre-orientation programme for the climbers and their helpers to alert them on ‘dos and don’ts’ to maintain peace in the region.”

Tilak Ram Pandey of the Department of Mountaineering added:

“The orientation programme is aimed at averting any untoward situation,”

While pre-climb briefings are not new, it is interesting that the briefing focuses on behavior. Similar briefings are common on Denali and Vinson with the sole purpose of protecting the mountain environment, especially from human waste.

In addition to common sense procedures, they instruct climbers on the use of blue bags or Clean Mountain Cans for solid waste. Currently, Nepal has no such policies for waste above Base Camp, and it is a serious problem with 500 climbers making multiple rotations up and down the mountain. It is especially problematic at the South Col where harsh conditions prevent biodegradation of any kind.

The etiquette briefing is a result of the fight in 2013 between Ueli Steck, Simone Moro and the rope fixing Sherpa. While I maintain this was an isolated incident between strong personalities, the Ministry obviously feels it could be a widespread problem and is addressing it to all climbers.

There was no mention if the Sherpa community would be required to go through a similar briefing. However, during my visit to Nepal to climb Manaslu a few months ago, I spoke with the Sidars (lead Sherpa) from several teams and they were still embarrassed by the behavior of the rope fixing team. They said they were taking a strong role in trying to shape the climbing culture of the younger Sherpa.

In addition to the normal Liaison Officers required to be hired by each permitted team, the Ministry also announced that a security force would be stationed at Base Camp consisting of three security personnel each from the Nepali Army, the Nepal Police and the Armed Police Force.

Climbers Now on Trash Duty

The second announcement was that each climber is now required to bring back from camps above Base Camp 8kg or 17 pounds of trash. This is in addition to any personal or group gear they use. The announcement further threatened climbers with legal action or bans if they failed to comply.

Again this is not unheard of on popular mountains. The Argentinian government weighs the garbage from each team as they depart the high camps to ensure it meets an overall standard for trash generated from a normal size team. This trash includes food wrappers, used fuel cans, etc. In other words, what they used, not what was left by others.

The Nepal approach, while excellent in spirit, is suspect in design. It is unclear if they expect climbers to carry trash bags at 24,000 feet, collecting scraps in hopes it adds up to 17 pounds. From my experience, the trash, which is mostly shredded tents, above Base Camp is frozen so solidly into the ice that it would require superhuman power to remove any scraps. Asking climbers, or Sherpas, to wander in the Icefall looking for trash is a suicide mission few will accept.

There have been dedicated expeditions to clean the mountain, mostly led by Kathmandu based Asian Trekking. In 2009, they had a ‘cash for trash” program resulting in picking up 6000kg (13,000lbs) of trash.

There has been a bounty to pick up discarded oxygen bottles for a decade thus the mountain is mostly clear of used cylinders that were left by expeditions well before 2000. The early expeditions must have never imagined Everest would become so popular that their trash would be discovered.

For years, the Ministry has required expeditions to put up a $4000 deposit per permit that was rarely returned due to corruption and graft.

A Sherpa led expedition in 2010 did collect trash. They intended to collect dead bodies but were stopped by some families who insisted on leaving their loved ones where they died. Six bodies were recovered.

In fairness, new trash is appearing as the Khumbu Icefall and glacier melts with climate change so old metal cans and other trash is appearing and needs to be picked up. One large piece of trash is the remnants of an Italian helicopter that crashed in 1973 around 20,670?/6300m. I’m not sure how an individual climber can help in this situation …

Setting a tone for mountain cleanliness, in June 2013, while on McKinley, aka Denali, rangers fined Conrad Anker who was climbing along with Jon Krakauer for taking an “unauthorized” dump directly on the glacier. Taking a hard line supervisory climbing ranger John Leonard was quoted:

“They were taking a shit,” Leonard says. “I don’t have much tolerance for people shitting on the mountain.”

A Different Idea

Again, I understand the intent of the manners class and the trash program, but the methods are likely to prove ineffective, given the heavy handed threats of fine or worse. You cannot force people to be polite. You cannot force people to pick up after others.

An unintended consequence may be that operators simply shift trash collection responsibilities to the Sherpas further straining any fragile relationships.

Perhaps they should use the permit price increase of $1000 per climber to fund a dedicated team of trash collectors in addition to making the $4000 trash deposit an incentive by returning it to teams who abide.

But if they really wanted to keep Everest clean, limiting the number of climbers allowed each year would be a start, but that would limit Nepal’s income.

What do you think? Will manners training and trash collection make Everest a better place? Are these the most important areas of focus? What measures will the Chinese take on the North side, where the trash situation is abysmal?

Update

A week after the initial trash announcement, this ‘clarification’ was provided

“We are not asking climbers to search and pick up trash left by someone else,” Maddhu Sudan Burlakoti, head of the mountaineering department at the Tourism Ministry, told The Associated Press. “We just want them to bring back what they took up.”

A totally reasonable policy that everyone can get behind ….

Climb On!
Memories are Everything
Alan

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21 thoughts on “Everest 2014: Nepal Takes Control of Everest, and Climbers

  1. Excellent topic Alan. Another area of focus, and one I was wondering what you thought about, simply put is, theft. Being high up on the mountain and unexpectedly you are missing your oxygen, fuel, sleeping bad, etc,. This problem in some situations could put a climber in a very bad situation, and then having to rely on others when they shouldn’t have to. There are many stories about this subject, but they may be just stories, so I was wondering what you thought. Love you site and its contents, Thank you,

    1. Thanks Jim, theft certainly happens but more on the less crowded north than on the south. Most teams always have someone at the high camps watching over things. But yes, it can ruin a climb without a doubt.

  2. Each climber needs be responsible for leaving the mountain cleaner than they find it, Leading by example !!!!. The more services we create as teams of Sherpas to clean the mountain, or to do rescues, the lest responsible the climbers will be. The best way to fix this problem is to educate our climbers. Nepal charge a signifiant amount of money, and to be sincere is after them on how the use the money. Denali or Rainier parks will give you large penalty if you not bring your trash back. Again for Nepal requesting to each climber to bring 8kg of trash is more than perfect and it is after all the teams to enforce this by leading by example.

  3. No simple solution(s). A good start is picking a good outfitter. I have used Tusker on Kilimanjaro, IMG on Mt Adams and Himalayan Experience to Everest BC. All of them have trash and waste protocols. Also, one of my prize possessions is an O2 cylinder circa 1976. I sponsored its removal years ago as part of cleanup expedition on Everest. There is a picture of the same style cylinder in ‘Everest, The Hard Way’ by Chris Bonington. Who knows, maybe Dougal Haston sucked the gas out of it.
    Perhaps Nepal should consider giving good companies priority.

  4. as you point out, a very imperfect system. If nothing else it will make people think more about cleaning up after themselves. ie pack out what you pack in…

  5. Some good points. Nobody wants to see trash anywhere they go. Everest is special and should not be litter strewn. People are all different and you will always get the ones that really care and clear and clean up after them. However, as we know, there are people there that really do not care and not bother to clear up. The latter should not be on the mountain as they leave a trail of litter for others to clear up so its not really right. There should be some sort of rule about clearing up your own litter and waste, however, the further you go up the mountain, the less energy you have and sometimes even just trying to survive is difficult. Its hard to know how to handle really. But a really interesting discussion!

  6. This rule will quickly break down, as do all rules in Nepal. A few guys may get hit up about not bringing down someone else’s trash and then pay a cash fine to the officer in charge. That money will likely never make it to any official coffers. It is anyone’s guess if the garbage police will endure two months at base camp or if they will head back down to warmer climates like the Liaison Officers always do. Anecdotally, the LO on our expedition generated more mess in his three days at base camp (out of the 60 he was supposed to be there) than the rest of us did the entire trip.

    Does Nepal really want to have the bad press that goes with a field officer being accuser, judge and sentencer? Or do they want to hold hundreds of mini trials back in Kathmandu after the climb?

    People need a little context about trash on Everest. First, the situation on the Nepal side is nowhere near as bad as media types claim when writing from 10,000 miles away, citing their echo chamber sources. I’ve been there twice and have seen it with my own eyes vs believing dated reports that are repeated so often they become the truth.(The Tibet side is a wildly different story). Second, Everest is in a Third World country. All Third World countries have a huge problem with trash and squalor; that’s one of the hallmarks of poverty. Everest is without a doubt markedly cleaner than most of the rest of Nepal.

    The only meaningful way to clean up the mountain is for dedicated teams to do it. Requiring completely exhausted climbers on the very brink of their physical capabilities to start wandering around on a glacier looking for 40 year old trash is unrealistic and dangerous. However, I think a better use of those expensive resources would be to start cleaning up Kathmandu with its millions of year-round garbage-flinging residents vs Everest with its few hundred residents inhabiting the place for two months each year. Bang-for-the-buck!

  7. At least there is a great new business opportunity for the Sherpas at Gorak Shep: selling garbage by the kilo in BC to climbers.

  8. Paul. I think due to your non compliance and clear adverse reaction to this new rule you will need to carry down 64lbs of Rubbish. You will also need to leave a non refundable deposit of $1000 for the Refuse sacks.

  9. Well as a western individual of very modest means who worked every hour sent my way over the past decade to fund the overpriced cost to get onto the mountain, it pains me to watch my permit fee be used for nothing constructive when it could easily be used to help keep the mountain clean including management of yak dung and rubbish on the EBC route. I don’t disagree with the principal just with the corruption behind what is driving this new rule. Try getting existing deposits back from these guys, there is nothing pure about what is going on here and the Sherpa will be the ones paying the price!

  10. Having just come back from Orizaba, where we witnessed a professionally guided member crap directly on the glacier then leave, this hits on a particularly strong note for me. I think their intentions are great and I applaud them for trying something new, but I’m not sure I agree with the (seemingly arbitrary) 17lb rule…The behavior/etiquette pre-game is something I think is good though. Unfortunately, a lot of “mountaineers” these days are westernized individuals of means, and aren’t always aware of (or flat out don’t care) how they affect their surroundings. “I paid a lot of money to get to the top of this mountain…I can do/say whatever I want, and someone else can haul my trash”.

  11. It’s also unfortunate that usually the minority give the majority a bad rap.

  12. Maybe the climbers should be required to take coutillion too….. Paul dev you’d Be surprised at how sloppy climbers are. almost every place I’ve climbed in the world is starting to get trashed it’s really sad. Nice article Alan!

  13. So the $12k we each pay the Nepalese government for that permit is not enough to also fund a cleanup after each season? This is money grabbing, nothing more! Climbers are mostly a responsible bunch, so if stuff is not being bought back down its because we can’t rather than won’t and the investment we already make on the mountain should easily cover rectifying this!

  14. Alan,
    Great article and one that is probably past due. This type of program seems to work on Denali and as much I would hope that it would work on Everest. I think most climbers are good, or should be stand out, stewards of the mountain environment and the privilege of being able to enjoy this blessing. I would like to think that have a trash service on Everest would not be necessary and that climbers, and guide services, if they care about being able to climb and use the mountain for commercial purposes would, and should take the collection and removal of garbage and human waste as a serious issue and work within themselves to police it. It seems having garbage crews which just add to the commercialization and “circus” that is building there. I think a leaflet will bring more awareness but having a more formal process aka Denali’s would produce better results. I note that Tim Mosedale is taking a Blue Bag approach to Ama Dablam this year and I appreciate him for doing so (and may earn my business because of it) and Everest really should be next as well in as much as reasonable. Reducing numbers and all climbers from all countries taking an active interest, and role, in both environmental awareness and in policing housekeeping, theirs and others, will keep the mountain experience at Everest for others to enjoy. It is only fair for those that have enjoyed it themselves. Walk softly and leave no trace. Thanks again for all you do Alan.

  15. Good idea. I know from my expeditions on the North side that a lot of trash is created by the yak trains and their herders. Not just animal waste, but unlimited empty cans of coke etc. It s very hard to convince them to take out their waste, as in regular life, they do the same. Of course this was different before disposable items were introduced into their culture.

  16. Really good discussion. Article is good. Gets you thinking. Well I think every climber should at the very least clean up after themselves. Thats should be basic and probably encouraged. I think the idea of paying the cleaning team is a good one, as the job will get done properly. As for the etiquette training. A leaflet would suffice and it should be given to everyone on the mountain. Most people dont act like children. I understand the idea if you act like a child you will be treated like a child but is this an over reaction. How many punch ups have there been? Maybe thats not the point but it could be handled in a better way so people will respond better to it. Perhaps Ueli could come clean once a year to show good will :))

  17. Thanks for sharing. At least it raises awareness with climbers – I thought it worked well on Denali

  18. Absolutely Alan…was thinking of it this morn and I am in agreement with your thoughts!

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