With the increasing number of visitors, Mount Everest has suffered in many ways, but in this article, we will explore what the overcrowded reality of climbing Everest looks like.
Mount Everest is the world’s highest mountain, captivating many, especially mountaineers eager to tick it off their bucket list. Yet, over the years, this world-famous mountain has attracted more than just mountaineers; it has attracted adventure tourists in their droves, many of whom are eager to reach Everest Base Camp.
With more and more people visiting every year for various reasons, the region has become known as the world’s highest garbage dump, a far cry from the sacred place it once was.
In this article, we will discuss the topic of overcrowding at Mount Everest and the reality that comes with it. So, stick around.
Mount Everest – a bucket list landmark for many
The soaring white peaks, clear blue skies, and complete awe of climbing what is said to be the world’s tallest mountain are what many expect when they plan to visit Mount Everest in Nepal.
This region has long been famous for being an adventure tourist destination, and ever since the summit by Sir Edmund Hilary and Tenzing Norgay in 1953, others have been eager to follow in their footsteps.
Everest, also known as “Sagarmatha” (forehead in the sky), is by no means an easy mountain to summit, but compared to mountains like K2, Annapurna, and Mount Denali, it can be described as challenging but not as technical or as fatal as others.
Mount Everest has a relatively low fatality rate compared to the other mountains, which was 1.15% for tourists and 1.33% for sherpas compared to 26.5% for K2 and 32% for Annapurna.
With this low-risk challenge, the mountain has attracted many eager mountaineers and those keen to make it to Everest Base Camp, located at 5,364m (17.598ft).
The average number of people that visit the Everest region is around 100,000 per year, which is growing yearly, resulting in a considerable overcrowding issue that is taking its toll.
The overcrowded reality of climbing Everest – far from expectations
The overcrowded reality of climbing Everest is shocking for many reasons. Not only have the increased crowds caused this once pristine region to become a dumping ground, but it has also impacted the safety of climbing the mountain itself.
With backlogs of people eager to reach the top – some with little or no experience but surplus cash to pay for the once-in-a-lifetime experience, climbing the world’s tallest peak now comes with added risks.
Climbing Everest is expensive, with prices anywhere between $ 30,000 and $60,000, and some eager adventure tourists are paying up to $220,000 to fulfill their dream.
Despite the high costs, Everest is as crowded as ever, impacting the natural environment by eroding footpaths. Sadly, deforestation is prominent in building lodges and providing firewood for tourists.
During the peak season, which runs between April and May, Sagmartha National Park can welcome 500 people who yearn to reach Base Camp daily, while 600 people attempt to reach the summit during these few short weeks.
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The dangers of overcrowding – one of the biggest issues is on the mountain
While the damage to the natural environment and infrastructure is nothing to ignore, another problem is just as shocking. As mentioned earlier, crowds gather on Mount Everest every year, eager to summit the mountain – a bucket list experience for almost everyone.
But in reality, what does this look like? As the numbers have increased, and with a small window of time per year to summit Mount Everest, it is common for climbers to stand in line in the freezing cold for hours, where the air is notoriously thin and oxygen is scarce.
This single-file situation continues until climbers reach the top, where there is not enough space to gather due to the excessive crowds.
Standing on the top of the world should be an incredible, memorable, and peaceful experience, but for many, this induces stress and anxiety.
In addition, it is worth noting that the mountain has suffered dramatically from waste disposal, of which no one knows precisely how much exists. Each person climbing Everest accumulates waste, leading to the once majestic slopes littered with abandoned tents, food packaging, and human faeces.
Currently, Nepal has no maximum limit for permits issued, yet it hopes that the price increase to $15,000 in 2025, which will limit the number of people climbing the mountain.
But is this a solution to Everest’s overcrowding? Along with rising permit prices and environmental campaigns, Nepal hopes to tackle this issue head-on. Yet, this country relies on the income climbers bring to the area, so unfortunately, the hope for stricter rules and regulations may be wishful thinking.
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