As a nation, we are helpless, with sea levels rising on the lower side and the massive Himalayan ice sheets melting on the top side of our low-lying country. As the sixth Bangladeshi to raise the red-and-green flag atop Mount Everest on May 19 at 8:30 a.m. local time, I had the rare privilege of witnessing firsthand the alarming sight of Himalayan glaciers melting from the world’s highest peak.
It is ironic that many believe Bangladesh to not geographically be a part of the Himalayas, and many more are not much bothered by what is going on in those high mountains.
But the Chittagong hill tracts – located in southeastern Bangladesh bordering Myanmar – are part of the Hindu-Kush Himalayan region. The Himalayas are a gift to the low-lying country, as all the big rivers of this river delta come from the mountain range.
I had the opportunity to watch the impact of global warming in the Himalayas closely. I have been to some of the most remote glaciers of the Himalayas in the last ten years. The rapid change I witnessed is alarming.
The most sensitive indicator for ongoing climate change is glaciers.
The shape of the glaciers depends on how much snowfall there is, and at what rate they are melting. If there is a rise in temperature, which we are facing in recent years, the glaciers tend to melt unless there is more snowfall to overcome this phenomenon.
This change is impacting everything and everyone on this planet. Mountaineers are no exception.
I remember that Camp 1 of the Mount Ama Dablam expedition in Nepal – a landlocked neighbour to Bangladesh in South Asia – which is located at about 5,500 meters and regarded as one of the most magnificent mountains in the Himalayas, is now free of snow and ice.
In high mountains, the only source of water for the mountaineers is those ice sheets or snow patches. No ice/snow means no water to drink. If there is no water, then mountaineers or climbing guides need to fetch ice or snow from further risky upper sections.
No water means you do not have the food or energy to continue the climb. This is not only happening on this mountain alone. This is the case for most of the mountains in Nepal.
This year, when I embarked on my journey to Mount Everest and Lhotse, I reached Base Camp on 10th April. The first thing I noticed while reaching the base camp was a big ice pinnacle holding a rock on top of it, just a few feet away from my tent.
This looked like a very solid ice pinnacle standing there for centuries. One and a half months later, when I came back to base camp after the exhausting summit push, that big ice pinnacle had melted by that time, leaving the rock grounded.
I could not even believe my eyes at how rapidly these changes are happening!
The biggest challenge for the mountaineers during their Everest climb from Nepal side is the Khumbu icefall. This year I had to wait in the base camp for days as the route through Khumbu icefall was not open due to less snowfall last winter.
There was thin ice and less snow, making Khumbu more vulnerable and shakier than any other year before. After continuous effort, progress was made, and the route through Khumbu was open.
But to avoid the unstable sections, the route became so long, it was exhausting for the climbers. Moreover, as the melting of ice and snow continued, more crevasses opened up, ready to engulf climbers during their climb!
Mountaineers had to endure added difficulty and increased risk due to this. Apart from that, less ice or snow on the glaciers means more rock sections. Usually rocks in the high mountains are more exposed and add misery to the mountaineers.
As there is no or less snow or ice to support the base of the rock, chances of rockfall increase, which may take the lives of the mountaineers.
Another obstacle I faced during my climb was in the Lhotse Face, which is situated above Camp 2, and it extends below Camp 4. As there was less snowfall last winter, the Lhotse Face was devoid of snow.
Harder blue ice, which usually hides itself under the powdery fresh snow, came out with its rock-like consistency. These issues slowed down the mountaineers’ pace. Even the crampons could not be used properly in those blue ice sections.
Mountaineers took more time to cross this section, and they had to expose themselves longer to the freezing temperatures.
The Everest region is now full of glacial lakes. The emerald green lakes are beautiful from a hiker’s point of view. But the science behind the formation of these glacial lakes is not appealing.
The glacial lakes are the result of thinning glaciers. The glaciers melt and form emerald green lakes. The big glaciers are now full of these lakes. They may ignite deadly GLOF (Glacial Lake Outburst Flooding) in the mountainous regions.
The highest glaciers on the planet are being impacted by our actions. As a nation, we are helpless, with sea levels rising on the lower side and the massive Himalayan ice sheets melting on the top side of our low-lying country.
Though Bangladesh consists of mostly flat land, people need to understand that their actions are impacting the highest glaciers adversely, and they need to act accordingly.
Babar Ali is the sixth Bangladeshi to raise the red-green flag atop Mount Everest on May 19 at 8:30am local time in Nepal. This marks the first successful Bangladeshi expedition to Everest in the last 11 years. He is also the first Bangladeshi to conquer two Eight Thousanders – a group of 14 mountains recognised by the International Mountaineering and Climbing Federation (UIAA) as being more than 8,000 metres (26,247 ft) in height above sea level, – in a single expedition.On May 21, he successfully conquered Lhotse, the fourth highest mountain in the world at an elevation of 8,516 metres (27,940 ft), becoming the first Bangladeshi to achieve this feat.
