Nepal vows to keep Himalayas safe and clean as it hosts conference for Everest climbers

KATHMANDU, Nepal — Nepal's government said on Tuesday it has a ''duty to protect'' the Himalayas from the risks presented by climate change and the growing numbers of climbers attempting to scale the region's summits, especially Everest.

''The government is strongly committed to support mountaineering in every possible way by keeping climbers safe, by protecting the natural beauty of our peaks and by helping local communities grow alongside the spirit of adventure,'' Nepal's tourism minister Badri Prasad Pandey said.

He was speaking in Kathmandu at a gathering of about 100 climbers from around the world who have successfully tackled Mount Everest. The one-day conference, dubbed the Everest Summiteers Summit, involved discussions on how to protect climbers and the environment.

Attendees expressed concern on the rising numbers of people who crowd Everest to try to scale the 8,849-meter (29,032-foot) peak. Veterans have complained how the mountain is becoming crowded and dirty.

Climbers normally spend weeks at base camp to acclimatize to the higher altitude. They make practice runs to the lower camps on Everest before beginning their final attempt on the peak.

Nepal's government last year funded a team of soldiers and Sherpas to remove 11 tons (24,000 pounds) of garbage, four dead bodies and a skeleton from Everest during the climbing season.

''Today, climate change and global warming are putting this future at risk. That is why we must act with care, with wisdom and with a deep sense of respect,'' Pandey said. ''These mountains are sacred, and it is our duty to protect them for the generations yet to come.''

Nepal doesn't have rules on how many days climbers must spend acclimatizing or making practice climbs. The permits to climb Everest, which cost $11,000 each, are valid for 90 days. Climbing season normally wraps up by the end of May, when the weather deteriorates and monsoon season begins.

Mount Everest was conquered in 1953 by New Zealander Edmund Hillary and his Sherpa guide Tenzing Norgay. Since then it has been climbed thousands of times and every year hundreds more attempt to reach the summit.

The popularity of the challenge means climbers face increased risks as queues form on the routes to the summit during the short windows of good weather. crowding the narrow and dangerous path to the summit though icy ridges and steep slopes.

There is also concern over the levels of experience of some climbers, who put themselves at risk as well as making climbs dangerous for others.

''The biggest issue and concern at the moment is overcrowding,'' said Adriana Brownlee, the youngest woman to climb the world's 14 highest peaks. ''We need to make sure that those (people on the mountain) are all experienced in the mountaineering world. So that if they are struggling (or) they are on their own and something happens, they know how to save themselves.''

Nepalese climber Purnima Shrestha said attempts to climb Mount Everest has become too commercialized.

''But not all the people there are physical and emotionally ready to climb the peak, that is being disrespectful to Everest,'' she said. ''This is the reason why there's all the traffic jams on the way to the peak.''