Mount Everest, the world' highest peak, has a growing problem in the form of human wastes left behind by mountaineers.

These wastes lead to more than mere uncleanliness; disease and pollution result from what the climbers are leaving.

There is a saying among mountain climbers: "Take nothing but pictures. Leave nothing but footprints. Kill nothing but time."

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The long ascent to the top of Everest though is an arduous one that has climbers leaving more than just footprints that will end up killing more than just time.

Not to mention all the wasted photo opportunities.

The Chief of Nepal's mountaineering association said last Tuesday that climbers, who are on Everest for their two month climb, had been leaving their feces and urine on the paths.

Ang Tshering said that climbers usually dig holes in the snow where they leave their wastes and keep on marching along.

He also said that now, the Nepal government needs to urge the climbers to dispose of the wastes properly in order to keep the mountain clean.

At the base camp of Everest is the best place to place the wastes.

Toilet tents are situated there where people can do their business into drums that store the waste.

Once the drums are full, they are carried to a lower area to be disposed of.

Dawa Steven Sherpa said that instead of doing stuff at base camp though, some climbers are bringing up disposable bags travel toilet bags to use in the higher camps.

He identifies the practice as a health hazard that needs to be addressed.

While the government has not yet had a plan to tackle the issue, they are definitely on the right path as they have begun monitoring the cleanliness of the mountain starting with the trash that climbers litter around.

The government has imposed rules last year that require climbers to bring down 18 pounds of a trash - the estimated amount of trash a climber discards.

TagsMount Everest, feces, Urine, Poop, Pollution, Disease