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Following the thread about Everest Base Camp related questions, its almost a globally known fact that the Everest Base Camp is very much crowded and consequently very much into garbage disposal pro...
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Source: https://outdoors.stackexchange.com/q/6807 License name: CC BY-SA 3.0 License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/
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<p>Following the thread about Everest Base Camp related questions, its almost a globally known fact that the Everest Base Camp is very much crowded and consequently very much into garbage disposal problems. Various sources talk about the issue: </p> <p><a href="http://www.salon.com/2014/03/04/mount_everests_massive_trash_problem_nepal_cracks_down_on_littering_tourists/" rel="nofollow">(Source 1)</a><br> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/mar/03/mount-everest-litter-nepal-climbers" rel="nofollow">(Source 2)</a> </p> <p>I guess the kind of people visit the place are not entirely responsible to the garbage, or are they?<br> These expeditions are lengthy and exhaustive, and they consume a lot of your energy and funds. Most of the visitors prefer to have porters. With such people you can't expect them to pack their own non-biodegradable waste to be brought along to the civilized areas where the waste can be disposed in a proper way. They should do the very best effort to do so, but its practically not possible for everyone to follow the protocol. This garbage dump at the Everest Base Camp is really a potential threat to hygiene and can jeopardize an expedition for such a stupid cause.</p> <ul> <li>Is it the crowd, (or should I say mob) sole reason for it getting that bad with Garbage issue?</li> <li>I always believe managing own garbage is the way to go in nature, and should be made mandatory by means of well-drafted rules and regulations. But considering the geography, How one should really go about managing <em>own</em> garbage at higher altitudes and camps set at higher altitudes?</li> </ul> <p>Is there a solid solution to prevent this problem? This would really sound like a very broad issue, and I do not expect an answer here at the forum, this is organizational stuff, but this question has to be raised and talked about.</p> <p>Narrowing the scope, I'd like to say that as I am planning to go there in near future, not for a summit but for a Base Camp trek, I'd like to receive any suggestions and ideas using which I wouldn't add more to the issue, and can manage my own trash. I always do, but this is going to be a trek of nearly 2 weeks, from Kathmandu, to Kathmandu and that make it a challenge to carry own stuff that too including the garbage. I am not sure about the garbage disposal infrastructure at Lukla, if there is any. </p>