Mount Everest Showing Signs of Drying and Rockiness, Says British Climber

Kathmandu: Kenton Cool, a British climber who recently completed his 17th ascent of Mount Everest, expressed concerns about the changing conditions of the world’s highest peak. Cool noted that Mount Everest is experiencing a decrease in snow and becoming more “dry and rocky.” This observation is based on his extensive experience, having first climbed the 8,849-meter peak in 2004.

Cool highlighted that there has been a noticeable reduction in snow compared to the early to mid-2000s. He pointed out that the mountain’s general trend is toward rockiness and less snow, although these conditions vary from year to year. During his latest expedition, Cool witnessed unprecedented rock falls on the Lhotse Face, a section along the route to the Everest summit.

He attributed this phenomenon to the mountain’s increased dryness, likely caused by a lack of precipitation and snowfall. Cool speculated that such changes could be linked to global warming or other environmental shifts.

Scientists studying climate change indicate that the Earth’s temperature has risen by an average of 0.74 degrees Celsius over the past century. However, the warming in the Himalayas, including Mount Everest, has surpassed global averages. Nepali officials have reported an annual temperature increase of 0.06 degrees Celsius in Nepal, partly due to its location between China and India, which are significant contributors to global pollution.

In other mountaineering news, a 53-year-old Nepali guide named Kami Rita Sherpa recently broke his own record by summiting Everest for the 27th time.

Cool mentioned that despite his 17th successful ascent, he plans to return to Mount Everest next year and possibly make more climbs in the future. However, he expressed a desire to bid farewell to Everest within the next 2-3 years. His future mountaineering goals include scaling Nepal’s Kanchenjunga, the world’s third-highest peak at 8,586 meters (28,169 feet), and Makalu, which stands at 8,481 meters (27,825 feet) and is the fifth tallest mountain in the world.