IT'S TIME
TO CLEAN THE
"Worlds Highest
Garbage Dump"!
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In 1953, Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay
won the race to scale Mount Everest, the world's tallest peak. We have allread and
wondered about this expedition. But, did you know that trips, of a very different kind,
are now being planned in this region? This month, a group of mountaineers from South
Korea, Japan, France, Italy and Austria, led by Nepalese Sherpa guides, will set out to
climb and clean Mount Everest. Yes, this once-pristine summit, standing at a staggering
height of 29,029 feet, is in desperate need of spring cleaning. According to recent
reports, over 50 tonnes of garbage has accumulated on the Nepalese side of the mountain. |
The slopes are littered with materials (old tents, empty
oxygen tanks and food wrappers) that have been left behind by mountaineers. You see, on
the way down, it is more convenient to leave unwanted gear and trash behind. In some
places there are even bodies that have been preserved by the cold weather.
No wonder this revered peak has been nicknamed the
world's highest garbage dump! There have been several expeditions to clean up Everest in
the past. In 2003, the 50th anniversary of Hillary and Norgay's first journey, a Japanese
mountaineer, Ken Noguchi, brought the problem to focus by bringing 2.4 tonnes of garbage
off the mountain.
This problem persists despite the fact that the Nepalese
goverenment has set strict laws. Guides and climbers who fail to carry back all their gear
and trash now must forfeit a US$4,000 deposit. Regulations such as these have been
constituted in different parts of the world, in a bid to protect the mountains from
rampaging humans.
The climbers on the Everest "spring cleaning" expedition plan to bring down at
least five tonnes of garbage from the highest camp before the summit, South Col. They will
also carry corpses. They hope that this expedition will set an example to the thousands of
climbers yet to scale the high peaks, not only the Everest, but all the peaks in the
Himalayas and other mountain ranges of the world.
But, hard core mountaineers are not the only ones who climb mountains. The state of
Himachal Pradesh has over four million tourists each year. They trek, ski and romp in the
hills and peaks. Just consider this. If each of them leave just one piece of paper, over
18 tonnes of garbage would pile up each year! Over the next 50 years, that would
accumulate to 900 tonnes! Guess we all better pick up our trash.
| Mountain Range |
Highest Mountain
in Range |
Country |
Elevation |
Laws |
| The Himalayas |
Mount Everest |
Nepal |
29,029 ft
8850 m |
US$ 4000 for not
returning with all gear |
| The Alps |
Mount Blanc |
France |
15,780 ft4810 m |
No camping on
protected sites |
| The Andes |
Cerrs Aconcagua |
Argentina |
22,831 ft 6959 m
|
All climbers are given a
trash bag with a number. When finishing a trip they must present their full trash
bag or be fined. |
| The Rockies |
Mount Elbert |
USA |
14,440 ft4401 m |
Camping only allowed
in designated campsites. |
| The Alaska Range |
Mount McKinley
(a.k.a Denali) |
USA |
20,320ft 6194 m |
All climbers must have a
permit and are charged US$150.They are also required to pre-register at least 60
days in advance,allowing the rangers to have contact with them prior to
climbing. |
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