Everest: A Treacherous Journey Amidst Melting Glaciers
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Chapter 1: The Perilous Ascent
Mount Everest, towering at 8,849 meters (29,032 feet), represents the pinnacle of climbing challenges. However, before adventurers can even fantasize about reaching the summit, they must navigate one of the most perilous sections right after departing from Base Camp: the Khumbu Icefall. This hazardous maze is characterized by deep crevasses that can reach 100 meters and massive, unstable ice formations the size of houses. Tragically, it has been the site of deadly avalanches, including one that claimed the lives of three Sherpas last year.
The Khumbu Glacier, which spans 2.6 kilometers (1.6 miles) on Everest's slopes, transforms snow into ice, causing it to flow under its own weight. On the steep inclines of the Khumbu Icefall, the ice shifts and cracks rapidly. Meanwhile, around Base Camp, meltwater frequently emerges, altering the landscape dramatically.
This video, titled On Thin Ice - Season 1 - Episode 1 - Melting Point, highlights the precarious conditions climbers face due to climate change, showcasing the challenges and dangers presented by the melting glaciers.
The treacherous nature of this icefall has necessitated a specialized team, known as the Icefall Doctors, to chart a safe course through it. However, the increasing rate of melting has shifted their responsibilities from weekly to daily. The situation has become so dire that the onset of this year's climbing season was delayed by 12 days. What was previously a snow-covered terrain at the base of the icefall is now a pond, precariously thinly veiled by ice, and new crevasses appear overnight where climbers rest.
Section 1.1: The Khumbu Glacier's Transformation
The Khumbu Glacier is evolving into a lake, and as global temperatures rise, it is poised to become even more hazardous. Each spring, roughly 1,500 climbers establish camp on or near the perennial ice of the Khumbu Glacier during the climbing season from May to March, turning it into a propane-fueled, urine-soaked wasteland. The result? Billions of years of ancient ice melt away each season.
Globally, glaciers are melting at an alarming rate, but the ice loss in the Himalayas is particularly alarming. This threatens essential water sources for the Indian subcontinent, endangering the livelihoods and agriculture of millions.
Subsection 1.1.1: Base Camp's Unstable Foundation
At Base Camp, the ground is becoming increasingly unstable due to shifting ice. A 2018 study from Leeds University found that a section of the Khumbu Glacier near Base Camp is thinning by approximately 1 meter (3.28 feet) each year, resulting in an annual loss of 9.5 million cubic meters of water—equivalent to 3,778 Olympic-sized swimming pools.
The Khumbu Icefall resembles a slow-moving river of ice that gradually descends the mountain as the glacier recedes, effectively transforming it into a deadly trap. Between 1953 and 2019, the Icefall accounted for 45 fatalities. According to Alan Arnette, a climber and blogger, avalanches, collapses, and falls into crevasses are the primary causes of death. The rising death toll serves as evidence that Everest is becoming increasingly lethal; in 2023, 18 climbers perished, marking the deadliest year on record, with 2024 already tallying eight deaths.
Chapter 2: The Melting Dilemma
The second episode, On Thin Ice - Season 1 - Episode 2: Korea, delves deeper into the implications of climate change on glacial environments, emphasizing the urgent need for awareness and action.
The Lingtren-Khumbutse tributary of the Khumbu Glacier, covered in granitic debris, is also witnessing melting at the same alarming rate observed in global assessments of glacier thickness. The highest glacier on the tallest mountain on Earth is losing decades of accumulated ice each year due to rising global temperatures.
2,000 Years of Ice Gone in 30 Years
A study published in the Nature Portfolio Journal Climate and Atmospheric Research revealed that the South Col Glacier, which climbers traverse to reach the summit, may have lost half its mass since the 1990s due to rising temperatures. Radiocarbon dating of the highest ice core ever extracted indicated the surface ice is approximately 2,000 years old, meaning all ice accumulated over the last two millennia has melted. The research team estimates a loss of roughly 55 meters (180 feet) of ice. If this trend continues, the South Col Glacier "is likely to vanish within a few decades," warns Mayewski, one of the study's authors.
The Process: Understanding Ice Loss
Researchers attribute much of the ice loss to sublimation, a process where ice and snow evaporate directly without becoming water. This phenomenon is prevalent in high-altitude areas with cold, dry climates, robust winds, and ample sunlight—conditions that are characteristic of Everest's southern face.
The absence of snow cover on the glacier exacerbates this issue. Snow, which has a high albedo, reflects most solar radiation back into the atmosphere. Without this insulating layer, the darker ice absorbs more sunlight, accelerating melting and sublimation, further increasing ice loss.
The Looming Threat of Glacial Lakes
Meltwater accumulation poses another significant threat. During warmer months, meltwater collects on the southern Khumbu Glacier and the northern Rongbuk Glacier, only to drain and reappear as seasons change. Over the past four decades, accelerated melting across the Himalayas has resulted in these water bodies merging into small lakes. For instance, the ponds on the lower Khumbu Glacier increased by 84% from 2009 to 2015. This creates a positive feedback loop: larger ponds absorb more radiation, which warms the water, melts more ice, and expands the pond.
Nepal is home to 21 'ticking time bombs' in the form of glacial lakes, where a glacial lake outburst flood (GLOF) could have devastating consequences for communities downstream. Such events have occurred in the past; in 1985, the Dig Tsho lake in Sagarmatha National Park breached its moraine dam, destroying a new hydropower station, 30 houses, and 14 bridges in the Khumbu Valley.
A Riskier Business in a Deaf World
The melting ice is severely impacting Nepal's economy. Mount Everest is central to the tourism sector, providing over a million jobs and contributing $2.4 billion to the country's GDP in 2022.
Base Camp serves as the hub of this industry, offering climbers luxury accommodations for more than a month, with costs reaching up to $160,000 for the chance to summit the world's tallest mountain. However, plans to relocate Base Camp to Gorak Shep are fraught with challenges, as the new area is not as flat, lacks a reliable water source, and is farther from the icefall, complicating climbers' ascent.
Climbers typically depart Base Camp around 1 a.m. to navigate the icefall while conditions are stable. If they must start from Gorak Shep, they would face significant disadvantages. By the time Base Camp climbers reach Camp 1, those departing from Gorak Shep would still be struggling with unpredictable daytime conditions.
The evidence is clear: the situation at Base Camp and along the route to the summit is unsustainable and hazardous. The influx of climbers has turned what was once a monumental feat into a commodified circus, draining resources from our planet's highest peaks.
In the face of this crisis, I reflect on my dreams of visiting Everest, yearning to experience its beauty and perhaps conquer the Hillary Step. Sadly, that landmark has vanished due to the 2015 Gorkha earthquake, and the real obstacles now stem from human actions.
The winds atop Everest may be deafening, yet I remain baffled by our collective inability to heed the warning signs. It is time to amplify our voices and demand change.