Everest meltdown 'disastrous' say sons of conquerors

[icymist]

THE sons of the first men to scale Mount Everest have warned that climate change is dramatically affecting the mountain and putting at risk the lives of millions who rely on it for water.

Sir Edmund Hillary's son Peter and Tenzing Norgay's son Jamling, who have both climbed Everest, said that the mountain is so ravaged that their fathers would no longer recognise it.

The base camp where the pair began their historic ascent is now 40 metres lower than it was in 1953 and glaciers are melting so fast that the mountain could be barren rock by 2050.

Mr Hillary said: "Climate change is happening. This is a fact. Base camp used to sit at 5,320 metres. This year it was at 5,280 meters because the ice is melting from the top and side. Base camp is shrinking each year."

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