Mount Everest, the world’s highest peak, long revered for its majestic beauty, has become notorious for a major environmental problem: tons of trash left behind by decades of climbing expeditions. In a groundbreaking effort, teams operating heavy-lift drones have successfully airlifted tons of garbage from Everest’s treacherous slopes during the 2025 climbing season, marking a transformative step in restoring the mountain’s fragile ecosystem.
This season, drone operators joined climbers and guides at Everest Base Camp to tackle the vast accumulation of waste—including empty cans, gas canisters, plastic bottles, discarded climbing gear, and packaging. These items have earned Everest the grim nickname of the “world’s highest dumpster.” The initiative to use drones emerged as a response to the difficulty and danger posed by manual trash removal and the high operational costs and risks of helicopter flights.
The drones employed are heavy-duty models costing around $20,000 each, supplied by Chinese manufacturer DJI and deployed by Nepal-based Airlift Technology. These drones can carry loads up to 15 kilograms per trip, enabling them to significantly reduce the physical burden on Sherpas and other workers who otherwise have to carry heavy loads through perilous sections such as the Khumbu Icefall.
In the spring climbing season alone, approximately 300 kilograms of waste were lifted off the mountain by drone. This technology has proven to be not only a more efficient way to remove waste but also a crucial means to improve safety. Previously, Sherpas would spend six to seven hours transporting equipment and clearing trash through hazardous terrain. Now, drones can complete the journey in under ten minutes, alleviating the risk to human life while speeding up cleanup operations.
Beyond waste removal, drones are also used to deliver essential climbing gear such as oxygen cylinders, ropes, ladders, and medical supplies to higher camps. This dual role helps reduce the number of dangerous trips Sherpas must make carrying heavy equipment, potentially lowering fatality risks on the mountain.
The success of this pilot program has prompted plans to extend drone-based cleanup efforts to other Himalayan peaks like Mount Manaslu, underscoring the technology’s potential for broader environmental and logistical applications in high-altitude mountain regions.
This pioneering use of drone technology reflects a growing recognition that protecting the world’s highest peak requires innovative, sustainable solutions. It also symbolizes a hopeful future where technology aids in reversing human impacts on some of Earth’s most extreme natural environments.
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