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Adventure Tourism and Recreation:
Mountaineering and Trekking
Trends in mountaineering and trekking in
developing regions
Case studies suggest that the number of people mountaineering
and trekking has increased over the years across different
mountain ranges (Lew and Han, 2015; Rassler, 2014), particularly
in the developing world.
Mountaineering and mountain trekking are forms of adventure tourism and recreation that are
increasing in popularity globally (World Tourism Organization, 2014). These activities carry with them
waste implications, both at lower elevations and in high-altitude, uninhabited and often extreme
environments. Due to their remote location, mountaineering and trekking areas often do not have
any sanitation facilities or waste collection services (particularly in poorer countries and regions).
The most common forms of waste from mountaineering and trekking activities are human waste
(excreta and urine), discarded equipment and supplies, and waste from pack animals. Approaches
to waste management for mountaineering and trekking vary between formal measures, such as
conditions placed by authorities on climbing permits or entry to national parks, through to more
informal and community-based efforts to self-regulate.
The number of foreign visitors to the Huascaran National Park
(the Andes mountains, Peru) increased from 10,678 in 2011
to 48,971 in 2015, representing an almost fivefold increase
in visitor numbers; compared to a 69 per cent increase in
visitors to Peru over the same period. The number of hikers
and climbers in Aconcagua National Park (west Argentina)
has increased by about six times over the last decade, from
A trekking camp on the slopes of Mount
Kilimanjaro.
Photo
©
iStock/Apuuliworld