The world’s highest police station at Everest Base Camp

For safety and security of travelers and local people at Everest region in Tibet, a police station was established at an altitude of 4,480 meters above sea level on November 20, 2008. It is the highest police station in the world. There are 20 policemen who have to go on patrol at areas with average elevation over 5,200 meters above sea level every day. Sometimes, they also go to pick up trash left by travelers who are not so responsible during their Everest Base Camp tour.

  

As the highest peak in the world, Mount Everest witnesses more and more travelers. The Everest Base Camp has become the most popular tourist site in Tibet. Every year, millions of travelers make a Lhasa to Everest Base Camp tour to view the grand mountains at the border between Nepal and Tibet. It was said that more than 40,000 people visited the mountain from the Chinese side in 2008. At least 514 people were reported to have summited the mountain from both the Tibetan and Nepali sides in 2008. Since then, the number of travelers travelling to Everest Base Camp is increasing rapidly.

At the same time, the number of cases of theft, prostitution and gambling is also increasing. The influx of people to the area has brought increased crime to the north face of Everest. Visitors to Everest also complain about unethical guides, tricksters selling defective oxygen bottles, prostitution and gambling. Therefore, Chinese authorities pledged to boost the police presence following reports of thefts of food, oxygen tanks and climbing gear in 2009. A former police post housed in a trailer has been upgraded to a full police station, complete with a modern 1,800-square-meter (19,375-square-foot) facility.

The police station was manned by more than 20 border policemen. The policemen do not only carry out patrols, but also help tourists or climbers out whenever they are in need, in the chilly cold winter or at night. Most of the policemen can speak English and Tibetan fluently. Some of them even can speak other languages, such as Japanese, Hindi and Nepali. If you are confronted with any trouble during your Mount Everest trip, go to the police station and they will help you.