There was going on a while back ago now, more evidence of such rather generalised human meanness and anti-social type unpleasantness on Everest; as it has got to be more popular to get to, and within more easy budget reach for more and more people, from all different and in particular non-outdoorsy social backgrounds, from the whole globe over. As famously revealed in the Everest memoirs of big Brian Blessed-bet they had to keep getting him to whisper that big booming actor's voice of his to prevent causing avalanches further up the mountain there-there were some rather bad types of anti-social people about in the base camp areas particularly there back then even too. People going into other groups tents and stealing food ration supplies and kit, as well as just plain barging in unannounced into other expeditions private tents expecting to be served tea and food, as if it were some kind of a restaurant at the top end of the world or something!
As Blessed I think commented disbelievingly at the time, there was rubbish from people everywhere, and a great lack of general respect for the locals or other expedition travellers; indeed being openly shown by large nunmbers of visiting individuals. It seemed then to be an unusually sad common experience at Everest basecamp at the foot of the mountain. Indeed I saw a few years back ago on tv a good program, trying to tackle similar problems there, where an expedition actually went to everest just to try to clear away the mountain of rubbish that had been left all around the bottom of the mountain by all the expeditions and other visitors there over the many years. They found discarded food cans and old bottles and litter that was up to thirty or more years old in many instances. As well as food packaging left dumped there by the many different travellers, that had originated you could easily tell-from the language wording on the packs and cans labels-just from literally all over this whole huge world of ours! A great shame indeed that people have to ruin things for other individuals, other generations, and the local population too. All just by momentary careless thoughtfulness, and inconsiderately awful uncaring attitudes to both other people and places alike.
It is for this same kind of reason of course, why in the USA the very great "Leave No Trace" philosopy of wilderness lore has had to be developed of lately too; to try to protect America's own wilderness places from such bad behaviour by the minority of uncaring individual visitors. To try also therin too as best as can be done so, to ensure generations as yet unborn to come after us can too enjoy such unspoilt wilderness lands areas. Amen to that!
Posted: 13/02/2008 at 09:15
