Images before the Covid 19 pandemic A long line of climbers to the tops of the mountains, resembling an authentic pilgrimage. Everest. It was then clear that climbing to the roof of the world was no longer something exceptional and reserved for the few, but had become an almost multifaceted activity.
Now, after a few years when the influx of mountaineers has become less visible, Overcrowding threat returns to Everest. While the new season heralds new ranks, Never have there been more permissions to climb to the top of the world than this year.
As if that wasn’t enough Heavy snowfall this winter increases avalanche risk The guidelines, cited by Agence France Press, are tops because “fresh snow stays soft”.
And Nepal set a new record. At least 454 permits have been granted to climb Everest this season It reached mountaineers from 61 different countries and integrated into a total of 41 expeditions.
The reason for this increase could not be clearer: Thanks to these expeditions, About five million dollars will enter the coffers of the Nepalese government. only in this concept.
This was announced by the officials of the Himalayan country on April 24, four years later. at least four deaths due to the massive influx of climbers.
Record number of climbers
“This is the highest number of permits issued by the department to climb Mount Everest”Bigyan Koirala from the tourism department admitted to AFP, adding that this figure could actually be higher.
Most of the climbers will be accompanied by guides – the permits only count foreign nationals because Nepali workers do not need them – which means: More than 900 climbers will try to reach the roof of the world in the coming weeks. And only on the Nepal side.
This crowd of people If the weather window gets shorter due to bad weather, it can create a real congestion on the Everest route.
This year, the highest number of permits was given to Chinese climbers with 96, followed by the Americans with 87 climbers.
A long queue formed in 2019, causing teams to wait in freezing temperatures for hours. At least four of the eleven deaths that year were attributed to overcrowding by climbers.
China restricts access to Everest
According to Ang Tshering Sherpa, former president of the Nepal Mountaineering Association, the reason for the high number of climbers this season is that many have been unable to travel in recent years due to the pandemic.
This season, the regulation applied on the Chinese side of Everest also comes into effect, Accordingly, in order to obtain the said permit, it is necessary to have climbed at least one peak of 8,000 meters before. This situation has increased the number of expeditions on the Nepal side.
According to a guide, the last snowfall increased avalanche risk at peaksbecause “fresh snow stays soft”.
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