Overview
- Video posted to social media on Monday shows Camp IV, the South Col at about 26,000 feet, littered with abandoned tents, empty oxygen cylinders, food packaging and human waste.
- The problem intensified after a record 274 climbers reached Everest’s summit in a single day on May 20, which increased traffic near the final push and left more discarded gear at the highest campsite.
- Nepal issued roughly 492 permits this season and raised permit fees last September, a surge officials and climbers link to growing commercial, social‑media driven ascents and more inexperienced clients on the mountain.
- Cleanup is slow, dangerous and expensive because Camp IV sits in the so‑called Death Zone where oxygen is about one‑third of sea level and teams cannot safely spend long periods removing rubbish.
- Large past efforts show remediation is possible but costly: a 2024 operation led by Sherpas and Nepalese soldiers removed 11 tons of waste and recovered four bodies, and no new large‑scale cleanup program has been reported so far.