To create a win-win situation, creative ways must be found to make money out of Everest without putting too much pressure on it

As the spring mountaineering season comes to a close, the government policy of allowing any number of expeditions on Mount Everest needs a rethink, what with the excessive commercialisation overshadowing the spirit of alpinism. Last Wednesday, there was a virtual traffic jam near Hillary Step above camp IV, with more than 200 climbers making it to the summit and back, taking advantage of the clear weather. The long wait eventually killed two climbers during the descent, casualties that could have been avoided. In the last two decades, the 8,848-m peak has attracted simply too many mountaineers, far more than it could possibly carry. And in so doing, climbing Everest has lost its charm. With thousands of people having summitted Everest since the first ascent in 1953, the summiteers are no longer members of an exclusive club. In the past, an expedition to Everest required years of planning and training. Only after having climbed the lesser peaks would anyone give Everest a try. Today advertisements in the European and American media beckon one and all to summit Everest – for a handsome fee, of course. As a result, anyone with money and even little climbing experience finds him or herself atop Everest, literally on the back of Sherpa guides.

The sheer number of expeditions on Everest year after year has polluted the mountain beyond measure, making it the world’s highest dump. The garbage that has collected in the camps includes not only food cans, oxygen cylinders and tents, but also tons of human waste. And having to navigate oneself through the countless human bodies that lie visibly scattered, especially when the snow melts, is certainly not pleasant. Thanks to the month-long Clean Mountain Campaign, ten tons of garbage and at least four bodies have been collected this season. The garbage, collected by the Nepali Army, Nepal Tourism Board, Nepal Mountaineering Association and Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality, is, however, only a small quantity of what needs to be retrieved and disposed. So to allow nature to take care of the tons of garbage strewn across the mountain, there was even talk in the past of shutting down Everest to expeditions for a few years. But this faced heavy opposition as it would be putting the livelihood of the Sherpas at stake. Many travel and trekking agencies also depend on mountaineering for their business. Above all, the government makes good money from the expeditions – US$ 11,000 from a member.

To create a win-win situation, creative ways must be found to make money out of Everest without putting too much pressure on it. One way is to limit the number of expeditions and hike the royalty per climber. To restore that lost charm of alpinism, Everest should be off limits to amateurs and certainly not for any Tom, Dick and Harry - and perverts - with some cash to spare. Permission should be granted to climbers only after they have climbed a certain number of smaller peaks. This would help spread mountaineers to other peaks and reduce the crowd on Everest. Everest should be made exclusive, where climbers strive for the ultimate in mountaineering. Let it not be similar to taking a cable car ride to the Chandragiri Hills anytime one fancies.

Probe all public land

A cabinet meeting on May 20 formed a four-member all-powerful high-level commission, led by Mohan Raman Bhattarai, to investigate cases of land grab/ misuse of public land across the country. The government decided to form the panel after a committee, constituted by the government about six months ago, found that 113 ropanis of public land at Baluwatar had been transferred illegally to various individuals. The Bhattarai commission has been mandated to submit its report to the government within six months. The panel will find who has grabbed land belonging to the government and guthis across the country and also recommend legal action against those involved in the cases.

It will also give suggestions about ways to protect public land. Recent media reports have revealed that not only government/guthi-owned land has been captured by individuals but thousands of ropanis, or even bighas, of land belonging to Sanskrit University in Dang, Ugratara Temple in Dadeldhura and Sworgadwari Temple in Pyuthan have also been usurped by individuals. The land grab spree began after the then warring Maoists encouraged the people to occupy public land during the insurgency.