Sherpa mountaineers in Nepal say a rise in the rate of snow and ice melt on Mount Everest has exposed bare rock faces and made it dangerous to climb. The equipments like crampons tend to slip when there's a lack of snow and ice, making it dangerous to climb. Especially at heights above 8000m, it becomes extremely dangerous.
The cost of climbing Mt Everest will also increase with the increased possibility of fatalities. Sherpas would need to be more skillful, and mountaineers who intend to summit Mt Everest would need to have more experienced than before, and be equipped with more technical skills.
As a trekker I feel sad that a beautiful mountain like Mt Everest is melting because of global warming, and that future trekkers might not have a chance to summit her because of trecherous conditions. Somehow I feel that the sherpas are the ones who are going to feel the most pain. Not just because their livelihood is dependent on Mt Everest, but also because they view Mt Everest as a sacred mountain. To have ice melting at an increased pace might signal a possibility that in the near future, much of Mt Everest might be gone and melted away. To them, losing this symbol, this sacred mountain is worse than losing their livelihood.
Previously, I've spoken to the Singapore Women's Everest Team after they successfully summited Mt Everest. The sense of achievement they feel is just beyond words. If Mt Everest were to become too dangerous for climbing in the future, I think it'll be a great waste to many hiking enthusiasts.
However, there's nothing much we can do to help. Albeit it's within our power to do the best we can by saving energy and reducing consumption. But at the same time, I can't help but feel that whatever we're doing now is so insignificant to reverse the situation. Something drastic has to occur to reduce the amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere to ensure a balance in the system to prevent further melting of snow.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/world/south_asia/10201279.stm
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