Post by : Shakul

Legendary Sherpa mountaineer Kami Rita Sherpa has urged authorities in Nepal to impose stricter limits on the number of climbers attempting to summit Mount Everest after successfully reaching the peak for a record 32nd time. The veteran guide warned that growing overcrowding on the mountain is increasing risks for climbers and guides alike.

Kami Rita returned to Kathmandu on Friday and spoke to reporters about the dangerous congestion witnessed during this year’s climbing season. According to him, conditions on Everest were significantly more crowded than in previous years, with long queues forming near the summit due to the limited weather windows available for climbing.

This season has seen an unusually high number of climbers using the Nepal route because China temporarily closed the Tibet side of Everest. Nepal’s mountaineering authorities issued permits to 494 climbers, while nearly the same number of Sherpa guides accompanied expeditions to the summit.

On Wednesday alone, a record 274 climbers successfully reached the summit from the Nepal side, marking the highest number of ascents recorded in a single day. Experts warn that such heavy traffic at extreme altitudes can create dangerous delays, exposing climbers to freezing temperatures, low oxygen levels and rapidly changing weather conditions.

Kami Rita emphasized that overcrowding on Everest creates serious safety concerns because climbers are forced to wait for long periods while attached to fixed rope lines near steep sections of the mountain. Longer exposure to harsh weather at high altitude increases the risk of exhaustion, frostbite and altitude sickness.

At 56 years old, Kami Rita remains one of the world’s most respected high-altitude guides. He first climbed Everest in 1994 and has summited the world’s tallest mountain nearly every year since then. In addition to Everest, he has also climbed several other major Himalayan peaks including K2, Cho Oyu, Manaslu and Lhotse.

Kami Rita’s closest rival, Pasang Dawa Sherpa, also reached the Everest summit for the 31st time this week, continuing the remarkable achievements of Nepal’s Sherpa climbing community. Sherpas play a critical role in the safety and success of foreign climbers by fixing ropes, carrying equipment and guiding expeditions through some of the mountain’s most dangerous sections.

Environmentalists and climbing experts have increasingly raised concerns about overcrowding and environmental pressure on Everest in recent years. Many believe stricter permit controls and improved safety regulations are necessary to protect both climbers and the fragile Himalayan environment.

#Environment #World News #Mount Everest #Nepal