The Guardian

Four kilos of gum and a rowing machine: how the most popular mountains became a mess

The world’s busiest peaks are now rubbish dumps, littered with tents and human waste. The latest publicity stunt on Mont Blanc is the last straw
Mountains of waste ... Discarded climbing equipment and rubbish around Camp 4 on Mount Everest. Photograph: Doma Sherpa/AFP/Getty Images

Have you heard about the ? The on Scafell Pike? Or the ? Not jokes, sadly. These are all true stories related to the endless piles of junk appearing on and around the summits of the world’s

You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.

More from The Guardian

The Guardian4 min read
Lawn And Order: The Evergreen Appeal Of Grass-cutting In Video Games
Jessica used to come for tea on Tuesdays, and all she wanted to do was cut grass. Every week, we’d click The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker’s miniature disc into my GameCube and she’d ready her sword. Because she was a couple of years younger than m
The Guardian4 min read
Khaled Khalifa obituary
The writings of the Syrian author Khaled Khalifa, who has died aged 59 of a heart attack, depict a world of bloody conflict, but one where flowers still bloom. In his books, which are often read as eulogies for Syria, and especially his beloved city
The Guardian4 min read
Critics Of Napoleon Epic Have Fallen For Emperor’s Fibs, Says Film’s Military Expert
Critics of the “damaging” and “inaccurate” portrayal of Napoleon Bonaparte in Ridley Scott’s new cinematic epic Napoleon are just victims of the French emperor’s enduring propaganda, according to the military adviser behind the film’s vast battle sce

Related Books & Audiobooks