At a dizzying height of 29,029 feet (8,848 metres), climbing Mount Everest is one of the greatest challenges on Earth. 

But climbers are now creating an even bigger challenge for those who have to clean up after them as Mount Everest risks becoming the world's highest garbage dump.   

Experts estimate that there could be as much as 50 tonnes of rubbish left on the mountain, while Everest Base Camp churns out 75 tonnes of garbage every season.

The waste problem is now so bad that climbers will be forced to carry their own poo back down the mountain.

To understand the sheer scale of the issue, this shocking map reveals the true amount of waste on Mount Everest. 

Mount Everest itself sits within the Sagamartha National Park in the Khumbu region of Nepal. 

This 124,400-hectare UNESCO World Heritage Site contains some of the world's highest mountains as well as some 200 Sherpa villages.

The number of tourists visiting the park has been steadily increasing for years but has recently begun to grow extremely fast, doubling in the three years between 2014 and 2017.

While the park itself is home to a permanent population of only 7,000, some 60,000 foreign tourists now visit each year along with thousands more Nepalese guides. 

But while these tourists bring in millions for the Nepalese Government and the local economy, they also bring in vast amounts of waste.