Is Climate Change Affecting Mount Everest?

Sherpa representatives have sent out reports that could indicate that climate change is affecting Mount Everest.

Increased snow and ice melt rates have opened up bare rock and this, they say, has increased the difficulty factor for Mount Everest climbers.

As a result, the tools normally used during the ascent – including ice axes – have become dangerous to use and if the situation continues, future climbs of the world’s highest mountain could become endangered.

Mount Everest Climate

Newly-published data highlights how – compared to the remainder of South Asia – Mount Everest’s climate has been warming up at a much faster level. Consequently, less snow has been falling and more ice has been melting.

“The snow along the slopes had melted, exposing the bare rocks underneath, which made it very difficult for us to walk up the slope as there was no snow to dig our crampons into”, one Sherpa advised news agency AFP at the end of May 2010, adding:"This has made the trail very dangerous for all climbers."

With a peak that sits over 29,000 feet above sea level, Mount Everest’s tip represents the loftiest point on Earth.

An Everest ascent remains one of the most arduous of human endeavours but, as well as the new danger element being described, there is also a linked financial element: the costs of travelling to the base, obtaining equipment, permits and other aspects of the climb currently come to $70,000, and these are set to rise in line with the changing face of Everest.

Climate Study: Mount Everest

Separately, a study has recently been launched in the US to assess how the changing climate is affecting Mount Everest. The Mount Everest climate study involves an array of cameras that have been set up and they will record the scene every half-hour to provide an ongoing picture of the local levels of snow and ice-melt.

Earlier this year, Enviro News wrote about a new mission to give Mount Everest an environmental clean-up.