Threat of overcrowding returns to EVEREST

More than 450 mountaineers get clearance from the Nepal government to summit Mount Everest despite the increasing risk of avalanches.

The long queues of mountaineers seen in photos and documentaries from Everest are set to return this year after a record number of passes have been issued by the government of Nepal.

According to El Periodico on Tuesday, May 2, for the first time in history, so many passes have been issued to climb the world’s highest mountain, which would result in the return of long queues on Everest.

Aside from the problems of overcrowding, experts have also warned that the heavy snowfall this winter has increased the risk of avalanches on the peaks, as the “fresh snow remains soft”.

As per reports, about 454 permits have been issued to climbers of Mount Everest this season in Nepal.

The number of permits issued only counts foreign citizens, and since most of the climbers will be accompanied by guides, it would mean that more than 900 climbers will attempt to reach the roof of the world in the coming weeks from the Nepal side.

A statement by Bigyan Koirala of the tourism department said that “This is the highest number of permits ever issued by the department to climb Mount Everest,” adding that “this figure could, in fact, rise further”

Experts fear that this crowd of people could create real congestion on the route to Everest if the season gets affected by bad weather.

The largest number of permits this year were granted to Chinese climbers, who totaled 96, followed by Americans, with 87 climbers.

In 2019, a long line of mountaineers resulted in causing teams to wait for hours in freezing temperatures.

At least four of the eleven deaths that year were attributed to the overcrowding of climbers.