Around 11:30 a.m. local time on May 29, 1953, Edmund Hilary and Tenzing Norgay became the first climbers to successfully summit the world's highest mountain. Since then, around 19,000 additional climbers have passed through base camp. To date, more than 6,000 climbers have successfully summited the 29,035-foot-tall behemoth. Although it is still the summit of the world, Mount Everest has taken on a less rarefied air in recent years. At around US$75,000 for a guided climb, climbing Everest has become a commodity and more like a tourist attraction. After conquering or at least attempting to conquer Everest, climbers leave behind items such as high-tech climbing equipment, food, tents, trash, oxygen cylinders and human feces , to name a few. Additionally, years of poor environmental practices are beginning to have effects beyond just the visual landscape. The mining of Mount Everest has had adverse social and environmental effects. These effects are examples of the negative impact tourists can have on any destination, no matter how desolate. Firm rules and regulations must be imposed and enforced by multiple entities to mitigate the negative impacts that continue to occur on Mount Everest. According to the International Society of Ecotourism, ecotourism is defined as “responsible travel to natural areas that preserves the environment and improves environmental quality.” the well-being of local populations. » (TIES, 1990) Many people would not define summiting Everest as a form of ecotourism but rather as a type of adventure tourism. However, with the increasing number of climbers visiting Everest each year, the impact has certainly worsened. Some might now... middle of paper ...... Wearing, S., & Neil, J. (1999). Ecotourism: impacts, potentials and possibilities. Oxford: Butterworth Heinemann. The International Ecotourism Society. Np, and Web. December 2, 2013.http://www.personal.psu.edu/pak5110/Assignment%205.htmlhttp://www.independent.co.uk/environment/nature/conquering-everest-60-facts-about-the - worlds-tallest-mountain-8632372.htmlhttp://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2013/06/125-everest-maxed-out/jenkins-texthttp://www.nols.edu/news/expeditions/sagarmathaexpedition.shtmlhttp https ://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-23543172 http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/nature/conquering-everest-60-facts-about-the-worlds-tallest-mountain -8632372.htmlhttp://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2013/06/125-everest-maxed-out/jenkins-texthttp://www.cnn.com/2013/05/26/travel/everest-by-the -Numbers/