Climbers ascend the 8,790-meter "Hillary Step," which often experiences severe congestion and frequent accidents during peak climbing season.
In May 1953, New Zealander Edmund Hillary and Sherpa Tenzing Norgay reached the summit of Everest, opening the door for humanity to the world’s highest point. The two always emphasized that reaching the summit was a team effort, with members working together like brothers. Hillary once described the spirit of climbing Everest as "brotherhood under the rope."
Sixty years later, more and more people are climbing Everest. In Nepal, climbing Everest has become an industry that costs a great deal — on average, each person spends hundreds of thousands of yuan, making it a sport for the wealthy. In addition, the growing number of climbers has raised concerns about environmental damage on Everest.
1. Current Situation: Over a hundred people congested at the highest peak
This May marked the 50th anniversary of the first American ascent of Everest. To commemorate the occasion, Mark Jenkins, a writer for National Geographic magazine, embarked on a journey to climb Everest but found the path to the world’s highest peak to be severely crowded.
While resting at Camp III, 1,692 meters from the summit, Jenkins saw large groups of people passing by his tent, forming an endless line heading toward Everest. Upon reaching an altitude of over 8,200 meters, Jenkins and his Sherpa guide Phurba Tashi encountered severe human congestion.
Due to the steep terrain, climbers in this area had to pull themselves up step by step using ropes set up earlier. Jenkins and Phurba Tashi were unable to move forward, as they were tightly packed between "strings" of climbers, all clinging to the same rope and waiting their turn to ascend.
Jenkins and Phurba Tashi were squeezed among the crowd, waiting for more than 100 climbers ahead to slowly move forward. Not far away, in a dangerous zone of protruding rocks, over 20 climbers were relying on the same worn-out rope to climb upward. A deeply bent snow stake embedded in the ice was the only anchor for this rope.
2. Problem: Tourists Want to Use Money to Climb Everest
Over the past few weeks, no fewer than 500 people have attempted to climb Everest, including the world’s oldest Everest climber — 80-year-old Japanese mountaineer Yuichiro Miura.
Since Hillary and Tenzing reached the summit of Everest, the success rate of climbers has been increasing year by year. According to statistics published by National Geographic in 2012, over 56% of climbers successfully reached the summit that year, compared to just 18% in 1990. It is estimated that since 1953, over 6,000 people have reached the summit, with as many as 234 people reaching the top in a single day, and more than 230 people dying as a result.
The path once walked by Hillary and Tenzing Norgay has now been developed into a commercial tourism route, bringing substantial income to Nepal. Everest is no longer just a game for the brave — as long as you have enough money, someone will arrange everything for you, even if the climber lacks basic mountaineering knowledge.
3. Hidden Danger: Excessive Commercialization and Trash Everywhere
Compared to the steep North Ridge of Everest within China, the South Ridge in Nepal is more suitable for non-professionals.
These foreign climbers usually need to hire local Sherpas as guides. They not only guide the climbers, choose the best routes, and help carry heavy luggage, but also set up nearly 8,000 meters of ropes throughout the climb, making the ascent of Everest much easier.
Faced with the huge market, the Nepalese government implements a permit system for climbing Everest and other mountains over 3,000 meters. The permit for climbing Everest costs at least $10,000 (for groups of 8 to 12 people) and up to $25,000 (for solo climbers). The Nepalese government earns considerable annual revenue from this alone. This spring, this income brought nearly $3 million to the Nepalese government.
The climbing application is only part of the cost of reaching the summit of Everest. According to British media reports, foreigners typically pay around $50,000 to obtain a climbing permit from the Nepalese government and hire a Sherpa guide.
The substantial profits and massive market have brought immeasurable consequences to Everest — piles of trash and excessive commercialization. A 31-year-old British climber, Aisha Jessa, complained: "There are people everywhere; it’s completely commercialized. Everything is geared toward foreign climbers." Another climber, Graham Holland, lamented more sharply that Mount Everest is no longer a "wilderness experience, but more like a trip to McDonald's." Meanwhile, Sherpas are no longer the "good friends" of the Hillary era, but have become porters who cook and carry heavy loads for climbers.
4. Firsthand Experience: Climbing Everest from Tibet Costs 300,000 Yuan
"China does a better job controlling the number of people reaching the summit of Everest; the south side is already a complete mess," Cao Jun, vice president of the Shenzhen Mountaineering Association, who reached the summit of Everest on May 17 this year, told a Beijing News reporter.
According to Cao Jun, compared to the Tibet side (Everest’s North Ridge), the industry for reaching the summit in Nepal is more mature. There are thousands of Sherpa guides working in the profession. This year, there were over 1,000 slots for climbing Everest from the south side, while the north side had fewer than 200, with China enforcing stricter controls.
Cao Jun said that if climbing from the north side, the full package — including food, lodging, transportation, guides, oxygen, route preparation, camping, and round-trip from Lhasa to the summit and back — would cost 300,000 RMB. The Tibet Mountaineering Association issues the climbing certificate. During the climb, guides accompany the climbers and report to the base camp on what time they depart in the morning and what position they reach at what time.
Cao Jun said that many guides are local residents who live at the foot of the mountain. The Tibet Mountaineering School recruits them, trains them for about three years, and then they begin their internships. These Tibetan guides speak Mandarin and English. Some Tibetan guides here have reached the summit as many as 10 times. Local herders can also earn good income by helping climbers transport supplies with yaks.