The issues of heightened tourism on Mt. Everest
On Oct. 4, 2025, an unexpected blizzard hit the Himalayan Mountains, leading to extremely dangerous conditions for Mount Everest hikers on the eastern side of the mountains. Hikers were met with rapid snowfall and intense thunder and lightning. Those in the region took shelter in the relatively isolated Karma Valley, with over 580 trekkers and 300 guides being evacuated by Chinese rescuers the following morning. The remaining 350 hikers were able to be guided to safety to continue their climb. The snowstorm also cancelled the plans of climbers guided by the U.S. based Madison Mountaineering company to summit Cho Oyu, an 8,188 metres (26, 864 ft) peak on the China/Nepal border. Many of those who weathered the storm were Chinese nationals due to a week-long country holiday. One Chinese trekker who was rescued said his group was “too scared to sleep” and they had to “get up every hour to shovel snow off our tents.” Despite these dangerous environmental hazards, the impacts of humans is taking its toll on the Mount Everest region.
Local Tibetan villagers explained this year there was an unusually high number of hikers saying, “almost two or three times more than previous years.” With October usually having the mildest conditions atop Everest, this time of year is most popular for treks. In the past year, over 540,000 tourists visited the Everest region, an all-time record. Tourism on Mount Everest and in the surrounding areas has created a number of strains on the natural environment. Namely, deforestation is an expanding issue as local agencies harvest trees to make firewood for trekkers and use lumber to build cabins. With heightened rates of deforestation, the lack of trees is leading to fast erosion rates, with lack of tree roots to stabilize the soil on steep slopes.
Due to tourist-caused overcrowding, groups must wait in lines to traverse across certain areas and must walk single-file in the final section before the summit. At about 7,000 meters, those summiting require oxygen tanks which causes a great amount of waste on the mountain. Abandoned tents and camping equipment, food waste, and even human waste are also increasingly polluting the mountain. As Base Camp is the only site on the mountain with outhouses, camps are overflowing with human waste. This waste production is especially impactful for residents of the Everest Watershed, who depend on natural waterways for their drinking water. As sewage continues to disrupt the watershed, soon the area will be uninhabitable.
Since 2014, a deposit campaign has helped local authorities give climbers a financial incentive to leave no trace. An average climber individually amasses around 8 kilograms of garbage by the end of their climb, so climbers have to pay the equivalent of a C$5,600 deposit, which is returned if the climber only amasses 8 kg or less.
In 2018, a non-profit organization known as the Mount Everest Biogas Project sought to develop a sustainable, solar-powered solution to recycle human waste into renewable energy. Specifically, human feces would be turned into methane gas and could be transferred to base camps for cooking and heating. The project would also be beneficial to the local economy for creating a range of new job offerings. But at this time of writing, there have been no further updates from the organization since 2024.