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CNN
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Another high-altitude project is underway to remove tons of trash from Everest as the 2024 Himalayan climbing season begins.
According to the Nepal Army, the mountain cleanup campaign has collected 110 tons of waste from 2019, when the program was launched, to 2023.
The military, which is partnering with multinational brand Unilever to carry out clean-up efforts, will again lead the campaign this year.
Twelve military personnel, supported by 18 Sherpas, will arrive at Everest Base Camp on April 14 and begin work.
In addition to removing an estimated 10 tons of garbage, the military plans to remove five bodies from the mountain, the military said in a statement. These bodies belong to climbers who died attempting to reach the world’s highest peak.
In 2023, 12 climbers were confirmed dead on Everest, and five more are still officially missing.
Currently, the majority of people attempting to climb the 8,849-meter (29,032-foot) Himalayan mountain do so through Nepal.
Last year, the Nepali government issued a record 478 permits to hike Everest. However, this is not the total number of climbers, as Sherpa guides, support staff, etc. accompany climbing groups.
As a result, overcrowding and trash have become the biggest problems plaguing Everest in recent years.
One of the biggest environmental problems is human waste.
The 2024 climbing season will for the first time require all climbers to use government-issued poop bags and to take their waste home with them from alpine camps.
“Each person produces 250 grams (8.8 ounces) of waste per day and spends two weeks in a high-altitude camp in order to reach the summit,” said Diwas Pokhrel, first vice president of the Everest Climbers Association. told CNN last month.
Additionally, for the first time in 2024, all Everest climbers will be given a tracking chip to aid in search and rescue operations.
Editor’s note: CNN’s Esha Mitra and Amy Woodyatt contributed reporting.
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