Mt. Everest has a poop problem, and Nepal wants it addressed.
According to CNN, the bodily waste issue has gotten so concerning that the country now mandates that climbers scaling the world's tallest mountain must return their excrement upon their descen. To tackle the pollution, climbers will be given a pair of bags that can be used up to six times each, both containing a substance that solidifies the waste and makes it odorless.
Jinesh Sindurakar of the Nepal Mountaineering Association estimated that roughly 1,200 people will take on Everest this season; and thus, the pollution needs to be corrected ahead of time. “Each person produces 250 grams (8.8 ounces) of excrement a day and they will spend 2 weeks on the higher camps for the summit push,” Sindurakar said.
Nepal’s Khumbu Pasanglhamu Rural Municipality will provide around 8,000 bags this season, a necessary addition to hikers' supply lists. Everest climbers pay $11,000 for the climbing permit, while gear, food, supplemental oxygen, Sherpa guides and other necessities can run them another $35,000.
In 2023, 478 climbing permits were distributed, with 12 individuals having been confirmed to have died on the mountain, while five others have been reported as missing. According to Big Think, since the early 1920s, more than 330 people have died on Everest.
