For scores of intrepid mountaineers, reaching the summit of Mount Everest remains the ultimate climbing achievement.

However, news this week of ‘carnage’ on the world’s tallest mountain has concerned climbers and non-climbers alike. Canadian filmmaker Elia Saikaly, who has climbed the mountain several times, vowed never to return after a “horrific” season during which he had to climb over a dead body on his way to the mountain’s summit.

Photographs of queues of climbers waiting in the notorious ‘Death Zone’ to reach the summit, as well as images of bags of rubbish left behind by those attempting the climb, have also sparked worried reactions from mountaineers.

Overcrowding, inexperienced climbers and the commercialisation of the mountain have all been blamed for the recent 'chaos’ on the world’s most famous peak. In response, Telegraph readers took to the comments section to share their views on the latest reports from the summit and discuss why so many intrepid mountaineers attempt the dangerous ascent in the first place.

Read on for a selection of the best reader comments so far and then go below the line to share your own views on Everest in the comments section.