Mt Everest: Overcrowding at the top of the world must be regulated

A New York Times article dated March 18, 1923 was titled Climbing Mount Everest is work for Supermen . In the piece, British mountaineer George Mallory was asked to explain why he wanted to climb the Everest. Mallory, by then a veteran of two failed Everest expeditions, responded defiantly: “Because it’s there”. Malory would subsequently die in his third attempt.Mountaineering had always been an exclusive activity, accessible only to a few who had the specialised skills, the endurance and the motivation to go the distance. It required years of experience and gruelling practice in the most hostile of circumstances to prepare oneself for the mammoth task. This has changed significantly.The generation that seeks instant gratification has gradually woken up to the immense possibility of commercial mountaineering. The potentially fatal mix of high disposable income, unscrupulous and poorly judged personal ambitions and lack of preparatory effort is paving the way for a queue of ego-tourists at the top of the world.