It is high time, some have said, to clean the “world’s highest garbage dump“, aka Mount Everest. China is taking the black mark seriously enough to launch a series of measures to improve both the environment and the mountain’s image. After a 30-person cleaning squad retrieved 8.5 tonnes of rubbish, excrement and equipment last year, the government decided to ban diesel vehicles heading to Base Camp. Now, a major clean-up is slated for Everest’s north side this spring. This includes picking up all the usual suspects — cans, plastic bags, stove equipment, tents and oxygen tanks — plus more gruesomely, the dead bodies left above 8,000m.
Since the cleaning patrols need time and room to work, fewer climbers will be permitted this season — just under 300, a third less than last year. Those preparing for Everest North Side in the coming months should double-check if they’re still a go. Note that rescheduling to the autumn Himalayan season won’t be an option: 2019 climbs will run on the Chinese side in spring only.
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How Mount Everest Got Its Name
