KATHMANDU: Mount Everest is undergoing a drastic and devastating transformation due to climate change, according to veteran mountaineer Phurba Tenjing Sherpa, who has summited the world’s highest peak 18 times.

Sherpa revealed that glaciers are melting so rapidly that areas once heavily buried in ice have turned into exposed, unstable rock faces, significantly increasing climbing hazards and altering the iconic landscape.

With shifting snowfall patterns and unpredictable weather fluctuations, the region’s delicate ecosystem is under immediate threat—causing international climbers to openly question the future viability of mountaineering in Nepal.

Beyond global warming, the mountain is facing a severe localized crisis driven by pollution, undercutting, and human resource depletion.

While waste collection is relatively functional up to Camp 2, catastrophic amounts of old tents, discarded oxygen cylinders, and refuse clog Camps 3 and 4, where the extreme altitude forces climbers to prioritize their own survival over ecological cleanup.

This environmental decline is paired with a critical shortage of elite high-altitude workers; under-recognized and under-compensated by the state, veteran Sherpas are migrating abroad for safer, better-paying opportunities.

Compounding these structural challenges is an aggressive price war among local expedition management agencies.

Standard rates have plummeted from historical averages of USD 50,000 down to USD 20,000-25,000, creating dangerous corporate shortcuts where companies routinely deploy inexperienced personnel in place of seasoned guides to save costs.

With Nepal generating over Rs 1.26 billion in royalty fees from 31 peaks this year alone—Rs 1.08 billion rupees from Everest alone—officials from the Nepal Mountaineering Association are urging the government to strictly audit mountain data and implement aggressive local sustainability reforms before a looming tourist decline cripples the national economy. (RSS)