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Mount Everest: Climbers asked to bring their poo back with them

This photograph taken on May 31, 2021 shows mountaineers lined up as they climb a slope during their ascend to summit Mount Everest (8,848.86-metre), in NepalImage source, Getty Images
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The rising number of climbers means there has been a significant increase in rubbish and poo on Everest

Mount Everest has "begun to stink" according to local officials, and it's all because of people's poo.

It's all because people aren't cleaning up after themselves when they go to the toilet on the mountain and it's not only a stinky situation, but also making people poorly.

A new rule being introduced on the mountain will mean climbers have to pick up their poo in a bag and bring it back to base camp to be checked.

Sagarmatha Pollution Control Committee (SPCC) estimate there are around three tonnes of human poo on just part of the mountain.

How do you poo up a mountain?

Image source, Getty Images
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Many mountaineers use open spaces as toilets on the higher camps of Everest

Climbers spend the majority of their time on Mount Everest at Base Camp to make sure their bodies get used to the altitude difference before taking on the mammoth climb.

Here, there are tents you can do your business in with barrels that collect the waste.

But there are no loos around as you start to climb, so where there's enough snow, most people will dig a hole to use instead.

There are some locations where this isn't possible, so you've got to go out in the open - but not many people clean up after themselves which has caused this poopy problem.

Image source, Babu Sherpa
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Clean-up campaigns have led to the removal of some rubbish, but that is mostly in lower camps

The new poop bag rules have been introduced by Pasang Lhamu rural municipality which covers most of the Everest region.

The cold temperatures mean that the poo doesn't fully degrade which is why the problem is just getting smellier and smellier.

Image source, Getty Images
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Don't eat yellow (or brown) snow...

Rubbish is already a huge issue on the mountain and clean-up campaigns are underway to try and tackle this.

But getting rid of human waste is a little harder, especially further up the mountain which is more difficult to reach.

The plan is for climbers to use special poo bags which contain chemicals and powders to solidify the poo and make it less smelly to make it easier to carry.

They can be used five to six times and they're already used in other places like the Antarctic.