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How severe is the problem with rubbish on Mount Everest?
Everest was once known as the world’s highest garbage dump, but now the situation is much better. We’ve been cleaning Mount Everest every year since 2008. I lead Eco Everest Expeditions. So far, we’ve brought down more than 15 tonnes of garbage left by previous expeditions. From time to time, international cleaning expeditions come to the mountain for a season, but we do it year in, year out. It’s a more sustainable approach to the way clean-ups usually work.

We also invite Sherpas from all camps to bring us garbage. We call it cash for trash – they receive $1 per kilo. That way, we’re using people and resources that are already present.

Do you only collect litter?
No, we follow the “leave no trace” concept, which includes not leaving any human waste behind. Human waste is one of the most hazardous things on the mountain. Because of the extreme climate, including the cool temperatures and lack of oxygen, the waste doesn’t decompose. We need to address this problem, not just because it’s icky but because we’re drinking water from melted ice, and the waste ultimately flows downstream to villages. We give each Sherpa and climber a toilet bag to take with them above base camp, and it’s their responsibility to bring down their own waste. It’s working very well, and others have started to adopt that system, too.

Is environmental responsibility enforced on the mountain?
Climbing teams have to pay a $4000 refundable deposit to the government, which is returned only after they receive certification that they brought their garbage back down. But a lot of governmental liaison officers never even make it to the Everest base camps, so how can they certify that a team brings its garbage down? Right now, no one goes up to make sure people are conducting themselves in a responsible way. Instead, we monitor each other. It’s in our own interests to self-police.

How is climate change affecting Everest and its surroundings?
The impact of climate change is clear in the high Himalayan region. The rise in temperature here is more than double the global average. Our hometown is at 4000 metres altitude. When my father was a child, Imja Lake, just south of Everest, was like a small hole. Now, that lake has become about 3 kilometres long, more than 100 metres wide and 100 metres deep. That’s all from glacial melt. Glacier lakes are increasingly dangerous because they can suddenly burst their banks, killing many people and destroying properties.

We’re also seeing bigger and more frequent avalanches. Rocks are emerging from under the ice, resulting in more rockfalls. As the ice melts, human bodies are also starting to appear. Sometimes it’s not complete corpses, just remains, and sometimes it’s climbers we knew. We’ve taken five bodies down from the glacier and buried them.

(Image: Asian Trekking)

This article appeared in print under the headline “Cleaning up on Everest”