When the avid climber and Instagram user known as @nimsdai (Nirmal Purja) posted a photo of a recent climb to the summit of Mount Everest, he captured something that has since startled travellers all over the world.

While we’ve become accustomed to queueing for new restaurants, good coffee, croissants and tickets, this is an image that would shock even the most patient of people.

While descending the famed Everest summit, on the Hilary Step, Nirmal photographed what he estimated to be 320 climbers queuing up to reach the top – leaving little-to-no room left for those attempting to make their way safely down the mountain.

Since posting it across his social media accounts, his followers comments have expressed the ‘sad’ and ‘disturbing’ nature of the sight. With hundreds of people lining up along the mountain, the eventual descent has become a far more dangerous venture.

Just last week, eight climbers were killed while descending the mountain, which is more than the number of fatalities recorded in total last year. Responsible travel has become a point for discussion in recent years, and this photo represents the alarming fact that overtourism can occur in even the most remote and unlikely destinations.