Nepal: With the mountaineering community gearing up to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the historic conquest of Mount Everest, there is a mounting apprehension surrounding the escalating temperatures, accelerated melting of glaciers and snow, and the increasingly erratic and severe weather conditions on this towering peak.

Since the achievement of New Zealander Mr. Edmund Hillary and his Sherpa guide Mr. Tenzing Norgay, who successfully scaled the awe-inspiring 8,849-meter (29,032-foot) summit of Mount Everest on 29th May 1953, numerous adventurers have followed in their footsteps, with many triumphantly reaching the pinnacle while tragically, hundreds have met their demise during these perilous expeditions.

The worsening conditions on Mount Everest are giving rise to deep concerns within the mountaineering community and among those whose livelihoods are intricately tied to the influx of visitors to the mountain. The Sherpa community in Nepal, who have grown up amidst the foothills of the snow-cloaked mountain they revere as the “mother of the world,” find themselves particularly alarmed by the unfolding situation.

“The effects of climate change are hitting not just the fishes of Antarctica, the whales or the penguins, but it’s having a direct impact on the Himalayan mountains and the people there,” stated Mr. Ang Tshering, a prominent Sherpa who has been campaigning for years to save the Himalayan peaks and surrounding areas from the effects of global warming.

Year after year, he, along with his Asian Trekking agency, orchestrates a dedicated cleaning expedition, during which both clients and guides actively participate in the crucial task of removing the debris left behind by previous climbing parties on Mount Everest.

According to Mr. Ang Tshering, the impact of climate change and global warming on the high Himalayan region has been severe. The temperature rise in this area surpasses the global average, leading to accelerated melting of snow and ice, resulting in a visible darkening of the mountains. Furthermore, the glaciers are receding rapidly, and lakes are experiencing drying up. Mr. Tshering, who spent his childhood on the foothills of the mountain, reminisces about the joy of sliding on the glacier near his village. However, he laments the fact that those cherished memories are now a thing of the past, as the glacier has completely vanished.

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