K2 in Pakistan contaminated with ‘decaying food and human waste’ left by climbers, foundation says

Elite mountaineer Nirmal Purja’s foundation has announced it will take a team to Pakistan’s K2 next year to clean up “rotten food and human waste” that is “frozen in ice and leaching into groundwater.”

The Nimsdai Foundation wrote on Instagram that “K2 trash at Camp 2 was so bad this year that our founder @nimsdai almost threw up from the smell.” The mountain in Pakistan is 28,252 feet tall, the second highest in the world behind only Mount Everest.

“It’s time for action… we’re announcing our new project to tackle this disgusting waste pile on K2. We’re proud to say that together with our founder @Nimsdai, the Foundation is planning our next #BigMountainCleanup project: back to K2 next year with a bigger team to clean up,”

CALIFORNIA CLIMBER MAKES FIRST KNOWN ASCENT OF ONE OF EARTH’S HIGHEST CLIMBS

This split image shows the trash that has piled up on K2 in Pakistan, the world’s second highest mountain.
(Nimsdai Foundation/Instagram)

“Next year we want to have a team of Sherpas who will be responsible for full-time cleaning and removing old, used and dangerous ropes,” the post added. “This will be a difficult and expensive project because of the remoteness of K2 and because we will have to pay the permits and full-time wages for the Sherpas working with us (who will have to be compensated very well for what will essentially be the loss of K2 climbing season.)”

In a separate post, Purja, a 39-year-old man who became the subject of a Netflix documentary after setting a record in 2019 for climbing the world’s 14 highest peaks in record time, said “ one thing people need to understand is that often people don’t want to, nor do I want to leave litter, it can really be a matter of life and death at this altitude.

ALL-WOMEN’S ROWING TEAM SETS WORLD RECORD IN PACIFIC OCEAN RACE: ‘BEST DECISION EVER’

The “rubbish is an accumulation of almost 70 years, since the first ascents of the mountain,” says Purja.
(Nimsdai Foundation/Instagram)

“If a climber is sick or struggling, they need to get off the mountains as quickly as possible – they can die if they stay to get their gear,” he continued. “It’s a very different situation at sea level, because of the lack of oxygen. Obviously, those climbers who can get the trash down, they should do it 100%.

The Nimsdai Foundation says on its website that it was established “as a means to give back to the mountain communities” of Purja’s homeland, Nepal, as well as “to help guide the way for future climbers.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Purja also said that “bad weather can destroy the tents and equipment that are left at the higher camps for use by expeditions, which are sealed in the ice.

“This rubbish is an accumulation of almost 70 years, since the first ascents to the mountain”, he added. “It’s not worth just one season – it’s going to take time to remove it as it’s so ingrained in the ice. High-altitude clearing is very hard and labor-intensive.”