ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES

    All things come with a price. In exchange for the contribution of expeditions carried out in the Himalayan range to Nepal’s economy, the environment has suffered tremendously.

   As the number of climbers visiting the country increases, it has become certain that the increase in pollution and other negative environmental repercussions will continue.

   Dubbed by American Barry G. Bishop as the “highest junkyard in the world”, Mt. Everest has been the home of lost or thrown climbing equipment, foods, medical waste such as syringes and medicines, plastics, tins, clothes, papers, tents, oxygen bottles and corpses. It is estimated that each team leaves behind an average of 500 kilograms of trash per expedition and the garbage is scattered in different altitudes.

   The route that is most notoriously known for its trash is on the Southeast Ridge since it is the most popular route to the summit. Another thing is that not all waste can decompose such as oxygen bottles that are also heavy. Usually this type of garbage is thrown into the crevasses that surprisingly show up at the base of the mountain.

   With the rise of environmental problems, the Nepalese government, climbers and environmentalists have created solutions that allow the mountain to recuperate. Traces of progress have shown up paving the way to the road to recovery.

REFERENCES

DANGERS IN THE HIMALAYAS

Frostbite. Frosbite commonly happens around climbers when a specific body part is not kept warm enough. It turns into a bluish black color and if there is no immediate treatment, it could result to that body part being amputated. To cure frostbite, remove all wet clothing, make the body temperature return to normal by warming yourself up and imbibe warm liquids.

Hypothermia. Hypothermia happens when the body temperature drops exponentially and the whole body seems to freeze up. The person can hardly move and talking would take an enormous effort to do. The circulation of blood will slow down and stop altogether, resulting to the person’s death. The only treatment to hypothermia would be a trip to the hospital that includes warming up the person again by drinking warm liquids and staying dry.

Snow Blindness. Snow blindness occurs when the eyes suffers to too much exposure to the sun’s reflection on the snow. The eyes would swell up making it sensitive and headaches might ensue. For prevention, a climber must wear sunglasses with side screens.

Acute Mountain Sickness. When a climber does not have proper acclimatization before attempting climbs with high altitude, he/she might experience AMS. It usually happens once to a climber. Common symptoms include headaches, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, fatigue, small breaths and anorexia leading to a collapse of the person. Using pain reliever and steroids can cure AMS.

Avalanche. Avalanche caused the most number of deaths in Mount Everest. It occurs when layers of different types of snow build up on top of one another. Having different properties and dimensions, a layer of snow may slide on another creating an avalanche. Crystals cause the most unstable snow because of its jagged dimension connected with other crystals. Another one is the depth hoar or sugar snow since any snow on top of it just slips away.

REFERENCES