Sole surviving member of Hilary Team says Mount Everest is too crowded and dirty

The lone surviving member of the mountaineering expedition that successfully reached the summit of Mount Everest has expressed concerns over the overcrowding and pollution plaguing the world’s highest peak.

Kanchha Sherpa, aged 91, was part of the 35-member team that assisted New Zealander Edmund Hillary and his Sherpa guide Tenzing Norgay in conquering the 8,849-meter (29,032-ft) peak on May 29, 1953.

“It would be better for the mountain to reduce the number of climbers,” Kanchha said in an interview in Kathmandu on Saturday. “Right now, there is always a big crowd of people at the summit.”

Since the historic Hillary-Tenzing expedition, Mount Everest has been climbed thousands of times, leading to increased congestion each year. In the spring climbing season of 2023, a total of 667 climbers successfully scaled the peak, accompanied by numerous support staff who congregated at the base camp from March to May.

Concerns have arisen regarding the prolonged presence of individuals on the mountain, yet authorities have not proposed reducing the number of climbing permits issued.

Regulations mandate climbers to carry down all their waste, gear, and belongings from the mountain, with the threat of forfeiting their deposit if they fail to comply. However, monitoring and enforcement of these rules have proven ineffective.

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