5 Bodies Left on Everest Will Soon Be Retrieved

The climbing season opens later this month on Mount Everest, and as people flock to the mountain, the remains of five people who died during their summit attempt will be removed from it. CNN reports Nepal's Mountain Cleanup Campaign intends to bring five bodies off the mountain, as well as 10 tons of garbage that have been left behind. It will add to the 110 tons of waste the campaign has taken off Everest since 2019. The effort kicks off Sunday and will be carried out by a dozen members of the Nepali army and 18 Sherpas.

The Big Think reports that more than 330 climbers have lost their lives on Everest, and roughly 200 of those bodies remain on the mountain. As for what the upcoming climbing season could look like, CNN reports that a record 478 Everest hiking permits were obtained from Nepal for the 2023 climbing season, and with the Everest climbing permit fee set to rise from $11,000 to $15,000 in 2025, many expect another busy year. The Times of India adds this is the first year since the pandemic that China will open the Tibet route to foreign climbers. (This climbing season will also be the first in which climbers are required to bag their poop and take it with them as they leave the mountain's high-altitude camps.)