Summiting Mount Everest is not just a major feat of human endurance; it also requires immense preparation, knowledge, and environmental awareness.
Prospective climbers need to meet prerequisites, undertake a brutal training regimen, and spend a significant amount of money to even attempt it.
However, you'd never guess that looking at a short video shared on Reddit's r/InterestingAsF***. (Click here to watch if the video does not appear.)
It wasn't clear precisely where on Everest the footage was taken, but the conditions depicted were unacceptable in any natural setting.
"Mount Everest covered in waste, including lots of human excrement," the post's title read. While the breathless narrator's commentary was difficult to hear over the wind, the words "dirty camp" were clearly audible.
Abandoned tents, discarded climbing gear, and mountains of waste rivaling Everest itself were visible in every direction.
As National Geographic noted, Everest was first summited in 1953, and in the intervening decades, it has become the "world's highest garbage dump." The outlet added that the broader site, Sagarmatha National Park, was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1979.
UNESCO's Cleaning Everest page, published in 2013, explained that commercially organized expeditions began in the 1980s, and with them, a waste management problem developed.
Climbing Mount Everest is notoriously deadly, with mortality rates ranging between 1% and 6% of all climbers. Historically, these ecological impacts have been attributed in part to a focus on survival — but that doesn't mean the issue isn't grave.
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Definitely 👍 "Pollution in the Himalayas endangers access to and consumption of water, as the glaciers feed Asia's biggest rivers, used by over 2 billion people," UNESCO stated.
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Debris, deforestation, and unnatural stress on footpaths and natural resources have taken a huge toll on the region, with as many as 1,000 people attempting the climb each year.
According to National Geographic, each climber produces around 18 pounds of waste, "and the majority of this waste gets left on the mountain," leaving the mess to locals.
Seasoned trekkers emphasize the importance of sustainable expeditions to those considering the journey, but the problem persists, and Reddit users were horrified by the short clip.
"Genuinely don't get the concept of people littering in nature. If you had the room to bring it, you have the room to take it away," one observed.
"Extremely wealthy people are toxic to society. … These people have never taken out the trash in a day in their lives," another remarked, referring to the prohibitive cost of summiting Everest.
"Humans are a plague. This is so disgusting and so sad," said a third.
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