From seven hours to seven minutes: Drones could revolutionise climbing Mt Everest this year

At Everest Base Camp, 5,364 meters above sea level, technology is reshaping tradition. Drones are now being used to transport ropes, ladders, and oxygen cylinders across the dangerous Khumbu Icefall — a deadly stretch that Sherpa climbers have navigated for decades to fix climbing routes for expeditions on the world’s tallest mountain, as per a CNN Travel report.

Nepal-based start-up Airlift Technology has introduced drone assistance to support the “icefall doctors,” the specialist Sherpas who open and maintain the climbing route from Base Camp to Camp One, located at 6,065 meters. This route, though only 1.8 miles long, takes experienced Sherpas nearly seven hours to traverse. A drone can cover it in under seven minutes.

Milan Pandey, a drone pilot with Airlift, told CNN that the initiative was born out of a collaboration with local authorities and mountaineering groups. “The Sherpas tell us where equipment is needed and send us coordinates. We fly the material there. It saves time and reduces the number of trips they need to make through dangerous terrain,” he said.


Mingma G Sherpa, founder of the expedition company Imagine Nepal, said the drone technology addresses a long-standing safety issue. “I lost three friends in an avalanche in 2023. We were looking for ways to make the work safer. I had seen drones used elsewhere and thought it could work here,” he told CNN.

Drones also support clean-up efforts. Airlift Technology used them to remove 1,100 pounds of waste from Camp One in a recent operation.

The use of drones comes at a time when Everest climbing faces multiple challenges. Everest expeditions became more expensive in 2024 due to rising permit fees and environmental regulations. At the same time, the number of climbers continues to rise each year, increasing the workload on Sherpa guides who often make multiple trips before climbers begin their ascent.