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Goals Background Methodology Methodology (Cont.) • Theory of Himalayan Environmental Degradation • To examine the visitor experience in association (THED) (Ives 1987, 1989). • 40-item questionnaire administered on site for Following Data Collection: with overcrowding and subsequent climber’s • Sagarmatha (Mt. Everest) National Park ‘degradation all three phases of the expedition: 1. Experience and Skill Level Analysis. perception of risk and challenges on Mount scenario’ (Byers 2005) verified by prior research (Byers —“Before”, “during”, “after”. Everest. 1987a, 1987b, 1987c, 1997, Fisher 1990, Brower 1991, Stevens 2. Factors Affecting Climbers Perceptions. 1993, 1997, Brower and Dennis 1998). • Survey organization by the following • To define ways to address the specifics of the categories: 3. Rank Correlation Analysis of Overcrowding overcrowding in the visitor experience: • Mountaineering “Summit Fever” on Mt. Everest —Climber demographics Issues. • natural hazards on the standard routes. has an indirect ripple effect on both the THED —Prior experience and expertise • crowding ‘high crimes’ (Kodas 2008). and ‘degradation scenario’. 4. Critical Concept Analysis. • environmental issues. —Perceptions of fears/challenges encountered 5. Discussion of Solutions for Survey Results. • definitions of ‘success’ and ‘summit fever’. • ‘Highest peak phenomenon’ = increasing issues —Over-crowding and environmental concerns (Kodas 2008).

Mount Everest Summits Since 1975 Mount Everest Deaths Since 1975 Research Objectives 700 16 Conclusions 600 14 12 Focused innovations of the project include: • Develop new knowledge about the different 500 10 demographic backgrounds, visitor experiences and 400 1. Explanation and geographic assessment of climber Summits 8 Deaths demographics: who the climbers are, where they are

perception of inherent risks associated with a typical 300 Fatalities Summits 6 from, and what brings them to climb Everest. summit attempt of the highest mountain on Earth. Jon Kedrowski 200 4 2. Evaluation of the mountaineering • Utilize a surveying technique to gauge the overall 2 experience, expertise, and skill level of climbers on impressions of climbers from a typical season of 100 Research Proposal 0 Mount Everest to determine how qualified the

expeditions. 0 Photo: dailygalaxy.com climbers actually are (prior to the climb), and then

1975 1977 1979 1981 1983 1985 1987 1989 1991 1993 1995 1997 1999 2001 2003 2005 2007

1977 1979 1981 1983 1985 1987 1989 1991 1993 1995 1997 1999 2001 2003 2005 2007 • Enhance understanding as to how the visitor experience 1975 determine how experienced the climbers themselves to Mount Everest is perceived and how it can be Year Department of Geography, Texas State University—San Marcos, TX Year think they should be in order to climb the peak. improved so that risk to all who venture there (as well 3. A probabilistic view of factors affecting climber’s Sources: AdventureStats. 2007. http://www.adventurestats.com/tables/EverestAgeFat.shtml, Sources: AdventureStats. 2007. http://www.adventurestats.com/tables/EverestAgeFat.shtml, as damage to the surrounding environment) can be Salisbury, R. 2007. The Himalayan Database: The Expedition Archives of Elizabeth Hawley. Salisbury, R. 2007. The Himalayan Database: The Expedition Archives of Elizabeth Hawley. perceptions of mountaineering on a high peak within lowered and managed by the various stakeholders the temporal aspects of a climbing expedition involved. (‘before’, ‘during’, and ‘after’). Near Tibet Basecamp—5000m Background (cont.) Study Area Locations Significance • Nepal Basecamp—5357m From a geographer’s perspective: • Visitor experience in mountaineering is only – Variables comprising important components of moderately documented. ‘summit fever’ will be isolated – Relationships between climber’s motives and – Demographics of climbers and the relationships drawn from specific issues on Everest escalated by levels of experience (Ewert 1985, 1994). the overcrowding will be analyzed by examining Research Questions – Overcrowding and environmental quality within perceptions acceptable limits (Ewert 1991). – Critical concepts will also be related to the Conclusions (Cont.) – Himalayas: quality of experience and risk overcrowding concerns (environmental, cultural, perception (Breivik 1996, Delle Fave et al. 2003), defining economical, political) and conclusions may be 1. What factors have a significant effect on the mental strategies and relationship to success (Burke drawn Project innovations (cont.): & Orlick 2003). mountain climber’s perception, including fears 4. A site-specific and detailed location determination and challenges encountered on Mount Everest of the overcrowding and environmental problems on during all phases of an expedition? South Standard Route: the highest mountain in the world. 2. What is the relationship of success versus overall Everest Basecamp, Nepal, at the 5. Popular critical concepts addressed in regards to climbing experience on Mount Everest? In North Standard Route: base of the Khumbu Icefall associated challenges on the mountain that may be Everest Basecamp, Tibet, at the (17,575’/5357m). addition, what actually constitutes true ‘success’ applied to other mountains as well. head of the Rongbuk Glacier  on Everest? (16,400’/5000m). 6. Valuable insight for the Nepalese and Tibetan  Photo: NASA Images Photo: Paul Auerbach, M.D. governments to help manage the permit systems and Everest: a very crowded mountain. Photo: Dariusz Zaluski Road leading into Everest BC. Photo: Jo Singh Conceptual Framework of Survey mitigate escalating problems on Mount Everest.

FY 2009 FY 2010 FY 2011 Project Timeline Gaps in Literature “Summit Fever” 2008 2009 2010 2011 Research Questions (cont.) SUMMER • Awareness of “Summit Fever” by the Everest & FALL SPRING SUMMER FALL SPRING SUMMER FALL SPRING SUMMER climbing community on specific issues Acknowledgements North Col (examined across the climber demographics): Unethical Survey • Thanks to Texas State University—San Marcos Graduate College and Department of Geography for providing Finalized partial funding for Cryosphere & Hazards 2008 Workshop attendance and presentation. 3. Are the levels of crowding and environmental THED Mountaineering IRB – Overcrowding on all aspects of an Expedition Definition of Approval • Special thanks to the Mountain Research Initiative (MRI), The International Centre for Integrated Mountain Acquisition of South Col Acquisition of North Col • “Before”, “during” and “after” perceptions „Success‟ on Data via Survey Data Analysis Data via Survey Data Analysis Development (ICIMOD), and the conference selection committee at the University of Nebraska-Omaha who degradation within acceptable limits for the “Degradation Scenario” (Everest BC, (Everest BC, provided partial funding for trip support, transportation, and Cryosphere & Hazards 2008 Workshop attendance. • Assessing specific locations where crowding is a Ethical Everest Pilot NEPAL) TIBET) Study • David R. Butler, Ph.D., Texas State University, Advisor and Chair of Dissertation Committee. problem Mountaineering Experience & Experience & Everest climbers? Skill Level Skill Level — Critical Concepts Everest Analysis Everest Analysis Initial References Change in “Before” Climb Climb • Definition of success for today’s Everest climber Mount Everest Data South Col North Col Breivik, G. 1996. Personality, sensation seeking and risk taking among Everest climbers. International Journal of Sport Psychology 27: 308-320. 4. What are major similarities and differences Risk Risk & “During” Review Route Route Brower, B. 1991. Sherpa of Khumbu: People, Livestock, and Landscape. Delhi: Oxford University Press, 202 p. • Environmental/human ethics shaping quality of visitor Brower, B., Dennis, A. 1998. Grazing the forest, shaping the landscape? Continuing the debate about forest dynamics in Sagarmatha National Park. In Overcrowding Taking Challenge “After” Climbers Climbers Nature’s Geography: New Lessons for Conservation in Developing Countries, ed. K. S. Zimmerer and K. S. Young, 184–213. Madison: University of experience Perception & Perception & Wisconsin Press. within the Everest climber demographics Perceptions South Overcrowding Overcrowding Burke, S., Orlick, T. 2003. Mental strategies of elite Mount Everest climbers. Journal of Excellence 8: 42-58. Col Analysis Analysis Byers, A. C. 1987a. An assessment of landscape change in the Khumbu Region of Nepal using repeat photography. Mountain Research and Development 7(1): Survey 77–81. Finalized Byers, A.C. 1987b. A geoecological study of landscape change and man-accelerated soil loss: the case of the Sagarmatha (Mt.Everest) National regarding questions #1 ,#2, & #3? Park, Khumbu, Nepal. PhD dissertation. Ann Arbor, MI: University Microfilms International. Photo: Mike Richard Trash & discarded Logistics & Oral Report Byers, A.C. 1987c. Landscape change and man-accelerated soil loss: The case of Sagarmatha (Mt. Everest) National Park, Nepal. Mountain Research and oxygen bottles Planning for (North Col Development 7(3): 209–216. Logistics & North Col Side Only) Byers, A.C. 1997. Landscape change in the Sagarmatha (Mt. Everest) National Park, Nepal. Himalayan Research Bulletin XVII :(2). Special issue: SoluKhumbu litter Camp IV, South Col Climber Demographic Planning for (TIBET) and the Sherpa. 5. What are some feasible solutions to critical South Col Side Byers, A.C. 2005. Contemporary human impacts on alpine ecosystems in the Sagarmatha (Mt. Everest) National Park, Khumbu, Nepal. Annals of Association of (NEPAL) American Geographers 95(1): 112-140. Backgrounds Comparative Delle Fave, A., Bassi, M., Massimini, F. 2003. Quality of experience and risk perception in high-altitude rock climbing. Journal of Applied Sport Psychology concepts based on the climbers and their Analysis 15(1): 82-98. Begin Oral Report (North & South Ewert, A.W. 1985. Why people climb: the relationship of participant motives and experience level to mountaineering. Journal of Leisure Research 17: 241-250. Dissertation (Dissertation Combined) Ewert, A.W. 1991. Managing a scarce natural resource: the high-altitude mountaineering setting. In: Proceedings of the International Conference and Workshop Report Defense) Summaries Book of the International Association for Experiential Education (19th, Lake Junaluska, NC, Oct. 24-27, 1991), 131-136. responses? Ewert, A.W. 1994. Playing the edge: motivation and risk taking in a high-altitude wildernesslike environment. Environment and Behavior 26(1): 3-24. Fisher, J. F. 1990. Sherpas: Reflections on Change in Himalayan Nepal. Berkeley: University of California Press, 205 p. Oral Begin Kodas, M. 2008. High Crimes: The Fate of Everest in an Age of Greed. New York: Hyperion, 372 p. Dissertation Report Final Stevens, S. F. 1993. Claiming High Ground: Sherpas, Subsistence, and Environmental Change in the Highest Himalaya. Berkeley: University of California Final Submission Reports Press, 540 p. (South Col Only) & Book A crowded Hillary Step. Photo: Eric Alexander Camp IV, South Col. Photo: Paul Adler Stevens, S.F. 1997. (ed.) Conservation Through Cultural Survival: Indigenous Peoples and Protected Areas. Washington, DC: Island Press, 361 p.

Poster Background Photo: Jon Kedrowski