Climbers face a lot of challenges when the decide to scale the world’s great peaks. Avalanches, grizzly bears,
altitude sickness. But few probably realize how dangerous is their own poo. Yes, I am sorry to say, but poo is
dangerous. No, it does not come alive at night and attack unsuspecting climbers when they sleep. Nor does it sometimes
explode when struck by the perfect combination of neutrinos (although scientists are currently studying this). But the
badness of poo comes from its nasty ability to harbor viruses and other nasty bugs, and this is making things
unpleasant for some climbers.
This article explains the
problem. On Mount McKinley in Alaska, the unsanitary conditions created by piles
of feces (heretofore known as Piles o’ Poo) often cause diarrhea among climbers. This, according to the report in the
journal Wilderness and Environmental Medicine. The numbers are clear: of 132 climbers interviewed on McKinley in the
summer of 2002, more than a quarter reported having trouble with diarrhea, and the poo is to blame. Clearly there is a
poo problem.
So what do you do? Well, it’s funny you should ask, because I have just come up with my latest a greatest new product
idea: The Poo Palace! Yes, the Poo Palace is a portable home for your poo. It looks like a regular doll-house but has a
retractable roof which is lifted and the poo is placed inside. There is poo furniture, a poo dinner table and even a
poo bean bag chair. Everything to make your poo comfortable and sanitary, therefore less prone to breed viruses or give
your poo the incentive to attack you at night (just to be safe).