Poop bags and GPS trackers are among the new plans to tackle overtourism on Everest

Climbing Mount Everest - known to the Sherpa people of Nepal as Sagarmatha - was once an activity reserved for the world's best mountaineers. During the decade that followed the first ascent in 1953, only thirteen people reached the summit of the world's highest mountain.

Times are changing. During the 2023 climbing season, more than 600 climbers claimed the summit of Everest, many of them enthusiastic amateurs who paid more than $55,000 (£44,000) to be escorted to the summit by expert mountaineers, Sherpa porters and guides. Tragically, the 2023 season also claimed the lives of at least 17 climbers.

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