Mount Everest's famous Hillary Step destroyed

[Still Waters 40,843]

A famous feature of Mount Everest has collapsed, potentially making the world's highest peak even more dangerous to climbers.

Mountaineers said the Hillary Step may have fallen victim to Nepal's devastating 2015 earthquake.

The near-vertical 12-metre (39 ft) rocky outcrop stood on the mountain's southeast ridge, and was the last great challenge before the top.

It was named after Sir Edmund Hillary, who was the first to scale it in 1953.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-39989992

[darkmoonlady 1,815]

I understand being the highest peak makes Everest a popular destination, given that SO many people go up there, maybe limit climbs. Granted the damage was caused by an earthquake the environmental damage to the area is terrible. Tons of trash, waste, dead bodies. The base camps are disgusting. I realize the local sherpas need to make a living but destroying the area to say you climbed Mt. Everest seems wrong. 

[Noxasa 180]

They should have blamed it on global warming like they usually do about everything else that changes on Earth.

[Merc14 22,523]

23 hours ago, darkmoonlady said:

I understand being the highest peak makes Everest a popular destination, given that SO many people go up there, maybe limit climbs. Granted the damage was caused by an earthquake the environmental damage to the area is terrible. Tons of trash, waste, dead bodies. The base camps are disgusting. I realize the local sherpas need to make a living but destroying the area to say you climbed Mt. Everest seems wrong. 

Why?  Is trash on Mt. Everest somehow destroying mankind or your life?  Do you look out your window and see trash on Mt. Everest?  How does trash on Mt. Everest personally affect you, so greatly, that it should be shut down and no human be allowed to climb it again? 

16 hours ago, Noxasa said:

They should have blamed it on global warming like they usually do about everything else that changes on Earth.

Spot on.  SUV's should be outlawed because a rock fell off a mountain in Nepal after an earthquake.

 

 

Edited May 22, 2017 by Merc14

[darkmoonlady 1,815]

3 hours ago, Merc14 said:

Why?  Is trash on Mt. Everest somehow destroying mankind or your life?  Do you look out your window and see trash on Mt. Everest?  How does trash on Mt. Everest personally affect you, so greatly, that it should be shut down and no human be allowed to climb it again? 

Spot on.  SUV's should be outlawed because a rock fell off a mountain in Nepal after an earthquake.

 

 

It's literally covered in ****. Climbers have just squatted anywhere and when it warms up rivers of **** flow down the mountain. 

[Sundew 2,929]

7 hours ago, darkmoonlady said:

It's literally covered in ****. Climbers have just squatted anywhere and when it warms up rivers of **** flow down the mountain. 

I hardly think that is likely given the fact that at around 36,000 feet it likely never thaws out. Plus accumulation of snow and ice would cover just about anything left on the mountain. 

[darkmoonlady 1,815]

4 hours ago, Sundew said:

I hardly think that is likely given the fact that at around 36,000 feet it likely never thaws out. Plus accumulation of snow and ice would cover just about anything left on the mountain. 

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2015/03/03/decades-of-human-waste-have-made-mount-everest-a-fecal-time-bomb/?utm_term=.6448b984e4b0

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/mar/03/too-much-human-poo-on-mount-everest-says-nepal

 

A large percentage is carried down the mountain part way to earthen pits that are polluting the water sources of the sherpas villages. What is still up on the mountain is everywhere, Ueli Stek wouldn't collect snow on the mountain for water as the boiling temp at that altitude is too low to kill the microorganisms teeming in the snow. 

[Calibeliever 1,550]

12 hours ago, darkmoonlady said:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2015/03/03/decades-of-human-waste-have-made-mount-everest-a-fecal-time-bomb/?utm_term=.6448b984e4b0

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/mar/03/too-much-human-poo-on-mount-everest-says-nepal

 

A large percentage is carried down the mountain part way to earthen pits that are polluting the water sources of the sherpas villages. What is still up on the mountain is everywhere, Ueli Stek wouldn't collect snow on the mountain for water as the boiling temp at that altitude is too low to kill the microorganisms teeming in the snow. 

That's crazy. I knew there was a trash problem but I didn't know about this. thanks.

[taniwha 1,482]

Everyone, breathe a sigh of relief, the step is still there, probably.

Quote

Peter Hillary says the question of whether the step was destroyed in a 2015 earthquake is not a geological problem, but a social media problem, after British mountaineer Tim Mosedale tweeted the Step was gone.

http://i.stuff.co.nz/travel/news/93001131/mount-everests-hillary-step-is-missing-a-large-block-but-is-still-there-mountaineers-son-says