NAMCHE BAZAR: Four bodies have been retrieved from Everest and some ten tonnes of garbage plucked from the mountain at the end of this year’s climbing season, Nepal authorities said on Monday.
Global warming means melting glaciers are revealing human remains and rubbish, which has gathered over decades of commercial mountaineering and as an increasing number of big-spending climbers who pay little attention to the ugly footprint they leave behind.
The four bodies were brought down by helicopter last week according to media reports.
Dandu Raj Ghimire of Nepal’s tourism department said they are being identified.
The 14-strong team sent by the government spent about six weeks scouring for litter at base camp and at Camp 4 — nearly 8,000 metres up — scraping together empty cans, bottles, plastic and discarded climbing gear. “We have reached our target this season… we hope we are able to continue what we have started,” Ghimire said.
Army helicopters and porters transported the refuse down to Namche Bazar, the last major town on the route to Mount Everest.
Authorities said some of it will be sent to Kathmandu for recycling.