Prospects of Mountain Tourism
and
Challenges for Conservation
Presented by:
Ang Tshering Sherpa
Mount Everest Diamond Jubilee Conference
Khumjung
26 May, 2013
History of Mountaineering and Adventure
Tourism in Nepal
Mountaineering and adventure tourism are the most
popular trend in alluring visitors to Nepal
Milestones in the history of mountaineering:
•1950 – Mt. Annapurna: First peak above 8000m scaled by
Mourice Herzog & Luis Lachenal
•1953 – Mt. Everest: Successful Ascent by Sir Edmund
Hillary and Tenzing Norgay Sherpa
•To commemorate their great achievement, we are here to
celebrate Mt. Everest Diamond Jubilee Celebration
Mecca of Mountaineering
The dream of every mountaineer and adventurer. It is their
‘Mecca’!
Nepal is the ultimate destination with:
•Nepal identified 3310 peaks above 5500m with two
categories:
(a) Non-technical peaks 1397peaks,term as walking peaks
such as Kalapathar (5550m)….
(b) Technical Peaks 1913 peaks, term as eligible climbing
peaks including 1310 peaks above 6000m
•This includes 16 peaks above 8000m peaks out of which 13
peaks above 8000m are permitted for mountaineering.
•Only 326 peaks are opened for mountaineering expeditions
• Still there are 1587 unclimbed peaks
•Early mountaineers are the icons and symbol of courage,
bravery and endurance……
Mt. Everest – 8,848m
Mt. Kanchenjunga – 8,586m
Mt. Lhotse – 8,516m
Mt. Makalu – 8,463m
Mt. Cho Oyu – 8,201m
Mt. Dhaulagiri – 8,167m
Mt. Manaslu – 8,163m
Mt. Annapurna – 8,091m
Sustainable Mountain Tourism
How can mountain tourism pave a positive way towards
sustainable development in remote regions?
• Remigration of people back to their villages - reuniting families
• Employment of women facilitates their empowerment
• A market for traditional handicrafts
• Aware that their income stream comes from protecting their
cultural and natural environment
• Sharing knowledge of culture, tradition, flora and fauna
• Growth in education opportunities
Sustainable Mountain Tourism
What is needed to ensure that mountain tourism becomes or
remains sustainable?
• Attention for the economic, social, cultural and environmental
dimensions of tourism
• Government policies and strategies that ensure benefits are
widely shared and the adverse impacts minimized
• Community participation to funnel income directly into
communities
• The exquisite beauty of rural remote areas and genuine
hospitality of mountain communities allowing for memorable
holidays for the visitors
Garbage on Everest
• A common misconception that Everest is dirty
• Everest was once known as the highest dump in the
world.
• Today it is recognized by climbers as one of the cleanest
popular mountain in the world.
• This is mainly due to greater awareness amongst
climbers and operators and the efforts of various
expeditions to clean the mountain eg. Eco Everest
Expedition…. .
Eco Everest Expedition and Cleaning Campaign
•
Eco friendly expedition organized every year since 2008
•
A platform to draw global attention: raise awareness about the Impact
of Global Warming and Climate Change in the Himalayas
Glacier melting Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOF)
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“Cash for Trash” by Asian Trekking:
- more than 15,200 kilos of old garbage
- 750 kilos of human waste
- 5 dead bodies
Sponsors of “Cash for Trash”
Asian Trekking contribution
- NRs. 3,09,30,000:
The North Face Contribution
- NRs.
8,00,000:
Reinhold Messner contribution
- NRs.
7,70,000:
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Approximate total expenses
- NRs. 3,25,00,000:
Use of highly successful alternative energy solutions: e.g. parabolic
solar cookers, solar energies for lighting and the SteriPENs for water
purification
Eco Everest Expedition
2008
“CASH FOR TRASH” program
A program which offers cash in exchange of garbage to Sherpas
who bring down garbage from Mt. Everest
•Endorsed by ICIMOD, UNEP
•Sponsored by Asian Trekking
Eco Everest Expedition
2009
“CASH FOR TRASH” program
•6000 kgs of garbage in 2009 including
wreckage parts of Italian Army
Helicopter crashed in 1973 between
Camp I and C II.
•Sponsored by Asian Trekking and The
North Face
Eco Everest Expedition
2010
HIGH ALTITUDE CLEAN UP
• Collected 1000 Kgs from 6500m
and above
•
Invited and involved all Sherpas
and climbers for this “Cash for
Trash” program
•
Brought down 5000 Kgs from
Camp 2 and below
•
Sponsored by Asian Trekking,
The North Face and R. Messner
Eco Everest Diamond Jubilee
Celebration Expedition 2013
“CASH FOR TRASH” program
•700 kgs of garbage as of yet including a
rotar blade and landing gear of Italian
army helicopter that crashed at camp 2 in
1973
•200 kgs of human waste
•Sponsored by Asian Trekking
Taking the climate change message to the top of the world
Breaking his own record, Apa Sherpa
after his summit of Mt. Everest in
2010.
Apa Sherpa on the top of Mt. Everest
for the 21st time in this year’s spring.
Encourage climbers to climb in eco-sensitive manner.
Dawa Steven Shepra with a Parabolic Solar
Cooker (PSC) to the summit to create
international attention and awareness on
environmentally friendly technologies.
Sherpas using PSC for
cooking food
Dawa S. Sherpa demonstrating the use of Restop
Bag
A small, but very significant beginning…..
Alternative energy solutions:
RESTOP BAGS
• Human waste is contained and
converted into environmentally
friendly waste
• Very useful in preventing
improper human waste disposal
Alternative energy solutions:
SteriPENs
• The SteriPEN uses ultraviolet
(UV) light to destroy
waterborne microbes
• It is up to 160 times faster than
chemicals and weights less
than 225 g (8 ounces) with
batteries.
Alternative energy solutions:
PARABOLIC SOLAR COOKER
• Solar energy used to boil water
• It weighs 28 kilos
• A large PSC could boil 10 litres
of water every 35 minutes,
although almost twice as slow in
comparison to a gas cooker, it is
ample for cooking, washing and
laundry.
• On a normal sunny day it was
possible to boiled 90 litres of
water.
The Road Ahead
Nepal government needs to focus its efforts on:
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improving infrastructure and mountain waste management
Streamlining bureaucracy to make it more convenient to obtain permits
Reduce permit fees to less popular peaks to promote them
Strictly monitor environmental impacts
Run regular clean up campaigns
Remove the “one-team, one liaison officer” rule
Ensure law and order in the remote mountain districts
Improve health services and infrastructures in tourist areas
Improve transport management and infrastructure, e.g. improve airports (blacktops)
Supply clean water and sanitary facilities
Immediate rescue provisions
Assure political stability (i.e. no more strikes, protests, closures….
Provide tourist information centers at popular tourism hubs
Diversify ‘tourism products’
Strengthen the national flag carrier (Nepal Airlines Corporation)
Make mandatory to use toilet bags (Restop bags) on the mountains
Encourage and inspire to use alternative energy instead of fossil fuel
The Road Ahead
Similarly, trekking and expedition operators need to:
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Invest in training our staff
Provide good quality equipment
Prioritize safety over success
Involve and encourage all staffs for clean up and to bring down garbage,
debris and human waste from the mountain for proper disposal
Be uncompromising on service quality and not sacrifice quality service for
price
Promote mountains in remote areas (even though they are less profitable
and are logistically complex)
Climbers and trekkers play the biggest role! … and must act responsibly:
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They must put safety over success
Help others in need
Do not steal or use other climbers’ equipment and gear without permission
Honor the “leave no trace” mentality
Respect the local customs & cultures
Follow the rules and laws of the host country
Prepare well and hire adequate manpower to support the expedition or trek
(as conditions are becoming more challenging in the Himalaya)
The Road Ahead
Role of NMA, TAAN, HRA, NARA and Associations
Role of Local Stake Holders
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Impact of Climate Change and Global Warming..
- Climate Changes is making a big differences on the
mountain, especially it is causing more frequent
avalanches and rock falls…
- The whole mountains are undergoing drastic
changes…..
- Another problem is the fact that climbing Mt. Everest
and other 8000m peaks are more and more mixed
climbing with more rock exposure.
The Road Ahead
•
Proposal of Rescue Cell:
– As it is becoming clear that climbing in the Himalaya is going to become more
and more dangerous and technical as time goes on, so we have conceived the
idea of RESCUE CELL
– A local team of highly trained, fully equipped and experienced rescue personnel,
which always remains acclimatized, that will be able to immediately dispatch and
respond to emergencies in the mountains
– However, Nepal will need the technical and financial support of all UIAA member
federations and government to make this project a reality.
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If we all commit to work together on these ideals, I am sure that Nepal could become
the best mountaineering destination in the world. This is very important for Nepal as it
would go a long way in helping to eradicate poverty in our mountains.
•
Tourism: Nepal’s most important industry, income and employment generator and
key to develop the remote areas
•
In our collective interest to increase the number of visitors to Nepal and thus
formulate appropriate policies that facilitate the tourism industry and at the same time
does not compromise the safety and security of the visitors. I am very deeply involved
and committed to this vision.
Pride of Our Mountains
• Our knowledge of mountain geography and ecologies allows us to be highly
influential witness to the climate change in our time and to extend that
influence beyond the mountain communities to every one around us.
• Our mountains are our heritage, glory, pride and the future of our nation.
• Mountain areas need conservation and sustainable development for the
present and posterity.
• Mountains are gift from mother nature which we need to respect and protect
them….
• And with this very goal we should all commit and join hands to play a vital
role by creating awareness for conservation and carrying out various
developmental activities with the participation of local people.
Save the Himalayas for ourselves and our children
• Saving the Himalayas means saving ourselves and our future
generations: the Himalayas are the Water Tower for 1.4 billion
people in South Asia (quarter of the world’s population)
• As per some scientist and environmentalists by 50 year time,
all white snow peaks and glaciers will melt away and transform
huge glacial lakes which will pose great threat to the people
living below.
• If the Water Tower is empty, it will no longer be just an
environmental problem but it will create humanitarian crisis
and political problem on a scale never seen before.
• So Let’s THINK Sustainably, WORK together and ACT now!
THANK YOU
Ang Tshering Sherpa
Chairman, Asian Trekking (P) Ltd,
Honorary Member of International Mountaineering and Climbing Federation
(UIAA)
Member of National Tourism Council, Nepal,
IP President of Nepal Mountaineering Association
and
IPP of UAAA–Asian Mountaineering and Climbing Federation
www.asian-trekking.com
E-mail: angtshering@asian-trekking.com