#TheCube | The summit of the world's highest peak experiences severe 'traffic' in times of optimal weather conditions, sparking fear for the safety of adventure enthusiasts with hour-long queues to the summit.
ADVERTISEMENTYou might expect congestion at the supermarket checkout or when trying to find a parking space. But Mount Everest is perhaps the last place in the world you'd expect to find a traffic jam.
Yet the summit of the world's highest peak has been experiencing severe traffic, with adventurers enduring hour-long queues to reach the summit.
The congestion has been linked to recent deaths on the mountain.
Three Indian climbers, two women among them, died of exhaustion while descending, Nepali officials said on Friday. They added that some climbers were getting caught in the crowds on the mountain and this was leading to exhaustion, dehydration and death.
Nihal Bagwan, one of those who died this week, had been "stuck in the traffic for more than 12 hours and was exhausted," local tour guide Keshav Paudel told AFP.
Meanwhile extreme sportsman Nirmal Purja, on the final leg to the summit known as the 'Death Zone', has made reference to the number of climbers.
Purja is a three-time Guinness World Record holder and is hoping to scale all 14 of the Himalaya's highest peaks in seven months in a mission called 'Project Possible, a record that would break its a successor by over seven years.
He has been documenting his journey on social media, citing 'traffic' at the summit as early as May 20.
"Already heavy traffic with around 200 climbers looking to summit 21/22," Purja said.
With an increasing number of permits given to hikers to scale the mountain, some are calling on a cap to climbers.