'Traffic jam' risks on Mount Everest

The prospect of not being able to return from a climb has not deterred mountaineers from venturing to the summit of Everest. Evidence from numerous photos and videos showing the “traffic jams” caused by climbers in recent years has gone viral, shocking viewers.

This photo of climbers lining up to reach the top of Everest was taken in May 2019 - the climbing season considered "deadly"

“How the hell are there long lines on Everest, this is absolutely insane,” one person wrote in a TikTok video posted this month with 2.5 million views. “Climbing Everest is becoming more and more like queuing for a weekend at Disneyland,” another added.

“Where is the fast lane?” another quipped. “It’s like a rope park for rich people,” one added. There’s even talk of a shop on the mountaintop.

Screenshot from a recent TikTok video that has attracted millions of views

Climbing Everest has become increasingly popular despite being dangerous and expensive, with pent-up demand due to the pandemic blamed for a busy climbing season this year.

Most people climb the south side of Everest in Nepal and must buy permits from the government for about $11,000 each. Nepal issued a record 463 permits between March and May this year, earning the government about $5 million, Reuters reported.

Ang Tshering Sherpa, a climbing guide for Asian Trekking, said each climber spends at least US$26,700 on an expedition in Nepal, including permit fees, gas, food, guides...

Scene of climbing a rope to the top of a mountain

The reason for the “traffic jam” is not only due to the large number of climbers, but also because there is less chance of good weather for visitors to reach the summit, so the number of climbers will accumulate over a few days, which happened in 2019.

Almost to the top of Everest but feeling numb, what did the climber do?

The 2019 spring climbing season was marked by “death and chaos,” with 11 deaths making it one of the deadliest in years.

Climbers were forced to line up and wait at altitude before continuing their ascent, while others said they stepped over bodies as they walked down the mountain.

This photo was taken on May 31, 2021, with people lining up to climb the slope on the top of Everest.

Overcrowding and a large number of relatively inexperienced climbers are believed to have contributed to the deaths. This year’s death toll has already surpassed that of the 2019 “horror season.” There were 12 confirmed deaths during the 2023 spring climbing season, and five people are missing.

One of those killed was Australian tourist Jason Kennison, who died three weeks ago from severe altitude sickness.

Traffic jams on Everest are not only inconvenient but also dangerous - especially in the so-called "death zone" of climbers' last-ditch efforts to reach the summit at altitudes above 8,000m.

Being stuck in a queue at such an altitude that climbers have to use oxygen tanks to survive is extremely dangerous.

A local guide carried an incapacitated climber down the mountain.

Speaking to the BBC, Lukas Furtenbach, who runs an Austria-based tour company, said the combination of the highest peak and "one of the most dangerous places on earth" is what attracts people to Everest.

He stressed the importance of making oxygen readily available in crowded settings and said all operators should have measures in place to ensure their customers never run out of oxygen.

Source link: https://thanhnien.vn/canh-tac-duong-tren-dinh-everest-185230612141107193.htm