The spring climbing season for Mt Everest is about to start. As reported by the Everest Chronicle, Nepal has issued climbing permits to 990 climbers from 79 different countries for the ascent of 30 peaks during the current spring season as of May 2. This includes 403 permits specifically for Mount Everest. Meanwhile, the Supreme Court of Nepal has ordered the government to limit the number of permits issued for mountaineering in the country's highest peaks, including Mount Everest.
Nepal is home to eight of the world's top ten highest peaks and attracts hundreds of adventurers every spring, when the weather is typically warmer and the winds are calmer. Although the verdict was issued in late April, a summary was released this week. Lawyer Deepak Bikram Mishra, who had filed a petition calling for a reduction in permits, stated that the court had taken into account public concerns about the country's mountains and environment.
The summary of the verdict emphasises that the carrying capacity of the mountains "must be honoured," and it is essential to establish a suitable cap on the number of permits issued. While the complete verdict remains unpublished, the summary does not specify an exact threshold for the permit issuance.
In 2019, Nepal's Mountaineering Association had lobbied their government to impose stricter rules for those wanting to scale Everest, after 11 climbers, including four Indians, succumbed on their way to the peak. Santa Bir Lama, the Association's President, blamed the deaths on a surge of inexperienced visitors. Kathmandu had enforced a one-route one-team rule for climbers.
However, after the restriction was lifted in 1993, congestion during good weather became a mainstay. Images of 'traffic jams' near the summit became common. Chilean mountaineer Juan Pablo Mohr had told news agency AFP that recent climbers were unaware of basics like using the fixed ropes, or attaching crampons (a footwear traction device) on the icy surface. Read more about it here.
Standing at almost 30,000 ft above the sea level, Mt Everest attracts thousands of high altitude climbers. And the expeditions leave behind tons of waste. There have been numerous clean-up drives on the mountain. According to the government of Nepal, 24,000 pounds of garbage (plastic water bottles, food wrappings, plastic wrappers, tattered tents, equipment, batteries and even human waste) were collected on a 45-day clean-up project in 2020. The pollution was so deep seated that a study that sampled 11 different snow regions of various altitudes found that they all contained microplastics. Read more about it here.