{"id":18454,"date":"2014-03-04T03:57:51","date_gmt":"2014-03-04T10:57:51","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.alanarnette.com\/blog\/?p=18454"},"modified":"2016-12-12T16:46:47","modified_gmt":"2016-12-12T23:46:47","slug":"everest-2014-nepal-takes-control-everest-climbers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.alanarnette.com\/blog\/2014\/03\/04\/everest-2014-nepal-takes-control-everest-climbers\/","title":{"rendered":"Everest 2014: Nepal Takes Control of Everest, and Climbers"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Guns<\/a>The 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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

There are two recent announcements: education and trash collection.<\/p>\n

Climbing Etiquette<\/h3>\n

Just announced<\/a> was a requirement that all climbers attend a “special pre-orientation programme for the climbers and their helpers to alert them on \u2018dos and don\u2019ts\u2019 to maintain peace in the region.”<\/p>\n

Tilak Ram Pandey of the Department of Mountaineering added:<\/p>\n

\n

\u201cThe orientation programme is aimed at averting any untoward situation,\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

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.<\/p>\n

In addition to common sense procedures, they instruct climbers on the use of blue bags or Clean Mountain Cans<\/a> 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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

Climbers Now on Trash Duty<\/h3>\n

The second announcement<\/a> 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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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

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.<\/p>\n

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 …<\/p>\n

Setting a tone for mountain cleanliness, in June 2013, while on McKinley<\/a>, 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\u00a0supervisory climbing ranger John Leonard was quoted:<\/p>\n

\n

“They were taking a shit,” Leonard says. “I don’t have much tolerance for people shitting on the mountain.”<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

A Different Idea<\/h3>\n

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.<\/p>\n

An unintended consequence may be that operators simply shift trash collection responsibilities to the Sherpas further straining any fragile relationships.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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?<\/p>\n

Update<\/h3>\n

A week after the initial trash announcement, this ‘clarification’ was provided<\/p>\n

\n

“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.”<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

A totally reasonable policy that everyone can get behind ….<\/p>\n

Climb On!
Memories are Everything
Alan<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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