A man has documented the moment dozens of climbers hiked past a dead body on Mount Everest as a reminder of the dangers of the popular adventure.

Canadian film-maker Elia Saikaly posted a shocking image to Facebook showing a climber’s body tethered beside the Hillary Step on May 23 in sub-zero temperatures.

“The morning light had revealed the gateway to the summit of Everest and in parallel to a human being who had lost his life,” he wrote on Facebook.

“Here we all were, chasing a dream and beneath our very feet there was this lifeless soul. Is this what Everest has become.”

Mr Saikaly said he had documented his team as it climbed Hilary Step, and he thought about every person who struggled to stay alive while also “questioning their own humanity, ethics and integrity”.

“This poor human being perched 7000ft above the Western CWM for everyone to observe was a reminder of each of our own mortality,” he said.

“Was this the ‘Dream of Everest’ we all imagined?”

“My heart bled for the family and loved ones and at the same time I was conscious of the necessity to continue to move on.

“At nearly 9000m above sea level, there is no choice but to carry on.”

New rules for Everest needed, climber says

The filmmaker suggested it was time to enforce new rules and said he shared the photo to warn future climbers of the serious dangers.

“I deeply apologise for the sensitivity of this post, but I feel we have a responsibility to inform aspiring future climbers of the seriousness of this undertaking while creating a dialogue around how to make safer, more responsible and more ethical choices with how we approach climbing to the top of the world,” he said.

Post by Yahoo Australia