How 2024 Changed Mount Everest Climbing Forever
2024 marked a turning point in the history of Mount Everest. From new regulations and poop bags to drone deliveries and record-breaking summits, the world’s highest peak underwent its most significant transformation in decades. Here’s what changed.
1. New Rules: Tracking Chips, Poop Bags, and Permit Limits
In response to the deadly 2023 season—which tied the record with 18 deaths—Nepal introduced sweeping new regulations for the 2024 climbing season .
Poop Bags: Climbers are now required to carry their human waste down the mountain in biodegradable bags and deposit it at a collection center at Base Camp . In 2024 alone, the Sagarmatha Pollution Control Committee collected 27.53 tonnes of human waste from Everest .
Tracking Reflectors: Climbers must now wear Recco-style tracking reflectors, though experts have questioned whether the technology will be effective at extreme altitudes .
Garbage Deposit: The 8kg garbage rule requires climbers to return with at least 8kg of waste to reclaim their $4,000 deposit .
Permit Fee Increase: The high-season permit fee was raised to $15,000—a 36% increase and the first price hike in a decade .
Supreme Court Mandate: Nepal’s Supreme Court ordered permit limits, though exact caps were still being debated .
2. The Poop Problem: Everest’s Unsanitary Crisis
For decades, human waste has been a growing problem on Everest. Climbers would dig holes in the snow or simply leave their waste behind, leading to contamination as glaciers melted .
The new poop bag rule aims to address this. Expeditions are now supplied with WAG bags (Waste Alleviation and Gelling bags) by the Sagarmatha Pollution Control Committee. Climbers are required to carry their waste to designated collection points, where it will either be converted into manure or safely disposed of .
In 2024, 27.53 tonnes of human waste were collected from Everest alone—a staggering figure that highlights the scale of the problem .
3. Drones: The Game-Changer for Safety and Cleanup
2024 saw the first commercial deployment of heavy-lift drones on Everest. The DJI FlyCart 30, a Chinese-made cargo drone, was tested and deployed to transport supplies and garbage between Base Camp and Camp 1 .
Speed and Safety: What used to take 14 porters six hours to carry can now be done by a drone in one to two minutes . This reduces the number of dangerous crossings through the Khumbu Icefall, where nearly 50 people have died since 1953 .
2024 Results: In 2024, drones collected 234 kg of waste from Camp 1. In 2025, the program expanded, with drones ferrying 1,259 kg of supplies and waste over 25 days during the spring climbing season .
As Nepal’s Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality stated: “Our sole purpose is to reduce potential deaths in the Khumbu Icefall, the danger zone” .
4. Record Summits and Deadly Bottlenecks
Despite the new rules, 2024 was a record-breaking year. A total of 885 people summited Everest, surpassing the previous record of 807 in 2023 . However, the season also claimed at least 11 lives—the deadliest season since 2015 .
Overcrowding: A narrow weather window created fatal bottlenecks, forcing climbers to wait for hours in the Death Zone above 8,000 meters .
Chinese Side Reopens: China opened its borders to Everest climbers in 2024 for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic, drawing some teams away from Nepal .
5. Climate Change: Glaciers Are Melting Faster Than Ever
2024 also highlighted the accelerating impact of climate change on Everest. An unusually dry winter with less than 25mm of precipitation at Base Camp from January to March, combined with above-average temperatures, resulted in persistently high snow lines .
Sublimation: Snow loss during winter at altitudes above 6,000 meters is primarily driven by sublimation, with losses observed up to 2.5mm per day .
Exposed Waste and Bodies: As glaciers melt, decades of buried garbage and bodies are being exposed, further polluting the environment .
6. 2026: What Comes Next
In 2026, Nepal passed a new law requiring climbers to prove they have summited a 7,000-meter peak before attempting Everest—a move aimed at deterring amateurs and influencers seeking “extreme tourism” . The law also introduces mandatory insurance, age and experience thresholds, and an environmental protection fund .
Primary Sources:
Outside Magazine — Everest 2024 season preview and new rules
National Geographic — How to climb Everest responsibly
Gripped Magazine — Drones flying waste off Everest
Geographical — Everest climbing crisis and 2024 data
DJI — FlyCart 30 deployment on Everest
Asia News Network — Drones and garbage collection on Everest
Climbing Magazine — New rules and controversies
From a Glaciers Perspective — Climate change and snow lines