The Nepalese government has decided to relocate the base camp of Mount Everest, the world's highest peak, from its current location as global warming and human movement make it unsafe.
This spring, Mount Everest's base camp was used by 1,500 people to reach the summit, which is based on the rapidly melting Khambo Glacier.
A low-altitude site has been chosen for the new base camp, where there is no snow all year round, a Nepali government official said.
Researchers say that the glacier on which the base camp is located is becoming unstable due to melting water from the ice, while according to the climbers, the cracks at the base camp surface are increasing.
"We are preparing to relocate the base camp and we will discuss it with all parties soon," said Taranth Adhikari, director general of Nepal's tourism department.
"Doing so is primarily to address the changes that are taking place at base camp, and it is imperative to do so in order to sustain the mountaineering business," he said.
According to the Director General of Nepal's Tourism Department, the current base camp of Mount Everest is located at an altitude of about 5,364 meters, while the new camp will be set up at an altitude of 200 to 400 meters.
The project is based on the recommendations of a committee set up by the Nepalese government to facilitate mountaineering on Mount Everest.
Like many other glaciers in the Himalayas, the Khambo Glacier is rapidly melting and, according to scientists, is becoming thinner due to climate change.
A study by researchers at the University of Leeds in the UK found that part of the glacier near the base camp was melting at a rate of one meter per year.
One of them, Scott Watson, said, "Most of the glacier's surface is covered with rocky debris, but there are also places where there is ice on the surface and the melting of these glaciers is destabilizing the glacier."
"When glaciers melt, rock debris on their surface begins to fall. In this way, melting water and falling rocks make the surface of the glacier dangerous.
According to climbers and Nepali officials, the width of a river flowing right between the base camps is increasing every year.
He says that the number of gaps and cracks on the surface of glaciers has also increased considerably.
"Surprisingly, we saw some gaps in the snow overnight at the places where we slept," said Nepal Army Colonel Kishore Adhikari, who was at the base camp during a spring clean-up operation. had been.'
"Many people got up in the morning thinking that we could fall into them at night. The cracks are so frequent here that it is very dangerous.
Shering Tenzing Sherpa, Everest Base Camp Manager of the Sagramatha Pollution Control Committee, shares similar views.
"Most of the noise is caused by snow moving or rocks falling," he said. "Before setting up tents at the base camp, it is important to make sure that the rocky surface of the snow is cleared," he said.
He said that in the past two to three weeks the snow level used to swell but now it is happening every week.
Khem Lal Gautam, a member of the committee proposing the relocation of the base camp, said the presence of large numbers of people was also a factor.
"For example, we found that 4,000 liters of urine is passed on a daily basis at the base camp."
"In addition, kerosene and gas used for cooking and heating also affect glacier ice."
Adrim Balinger, founder of the mountaineering company Alpine Glow Expeditions, also agrees to relocate the base camp. He predicted that in the future there would be blizzards, more snow and rocks falling on the existing base camp.
"And it should be unacceptable for adventurers because it can be avoided."
One of the major difficulties in relocating to Base Camp is that the journey for the summit will increase and the journey from Base Camp to Camp One will be longer where the onward journey begins.
Most climbers climb Mount Everest from Nepal, but in recent years there has been an increase in attempts by China as well.
Sherpa says the existing base camp could be used for the next three to four years, despite all the problems.
But the Nepalese government has hinted at relocating the base camps by 2024.
"We have reviewed all the technical and environmental issues and the local population will be consulted before relocating the base camp so that their culture is taken into consideration," said Taranth Adhikari.
He said that the relocation of the base camp would be completed only after discussions with all parties.
0 Comments