Why Everest base camp won’t be moving anytime soon

BBC News:

Last June, Nepal’s tourism ministry announced plans to move Everest base camp lower down the famous mountain because global warming and human activity were making it unsafe.

The camp sits on the Khumbu glacier which is thinning rapidly, creating risks for the hundreds of climbers who pass through every year.

But following opposition from the Sherpa community and other mountaineering operators, the idea has been shelved.

Sherpa leaders told the BBC the move was impractical and that there was no viable alternative location.

As the backbone of the mountaineering industry, the Sherpa’s voice is crucial. Opposition to the move is widespread – more than 95% of attendees rejected the idea at a recent consultation with the mountaineering industry, say tourism ministry officials and the Nepal Mountaineering Association.

Officials told the BBC it means the move has to be shelved, although they maintain a study is still going on.