KATHMANDU, MARCH 19:
With the 2025 climbing season set to start soon, preparations are in full swing to smoothly manage expeditions on various mountains, including Mt. Everest, the world's highest peak.
A rope fixing team is set to depart for Everest base camp on Friday while another team has been set up to effectively clean the mountain, this time using drones.
In August last year, the Sagarmatha Pollution Control Committee (SPCC), Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality, and Airlift Technology Pvt. Ltd, Nepal's pioneering drone company, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for joint collaboration aiming to utilise advanced drone technology for efficient management of garbage in the Khumbu region mountains. The joint collaboration was initiated with a technical study through a Chinese firm last year headed by Airlift Technology.
In its initial testing on Everest from a climate and technology perspective, around 15 test flights were conducted with a DJI FlyCart drone from Base Camp till just below Camp I. The team had managed to collect around 234 kilograms of waste from Everest during the test phase. A similar testing was conducted in Autumn till Camp II at Mt Amadablam collecting around 641 kilograms of waste, a milestone for clean up perspective on the 6,812 metre peak, according to Milan Pandey, cofounder of Airlift Technology.
In addition to collecting waste from high altitudes, Airlift Technology will also provide assistance to the icefall doctors in securing safe passage through the Khumbu Icefall section till Camp II this season. "The drone will be used to airlift aluminium ladders and ropes necessary for the icefall doctors. Given the treacherous passage, the team of icefall doctors will share their coordinates allowing the base camp team to send the required equipment. This will save time, reduce risk and make their jobs much easier," Pandey said. On average, the time taken by the drone to make a round trip from EBC to Camp I is estimated to be around 15 minutes depending on the weather conditions and wind speed. To further ensure safety, the payload capacity of the drone used will be fixed at around 25 kilograms.
When the routes are fixed, the team will start collecting waste and fly them back to base camp. In case of emergency, discussions are also underway to airlift supplemental oxygen if a green light is given by the SPCC and the rural municipality.
"With that said, once the routes are fixed, a study will also be conducted to secure a clear line of sight for the aerial flight away from the climbing route to ensure there are no disturbances. If that doesn't work, two controllers will be online at either side, making sure frequency and connection remains strong," Pandey explained.
The use of drones in Everest is also expected to further reduce casualties not just in the Khumbu Icefall but for Climbers who will also be carrying waste on their way down from the summit. "Upon their return from the summit, many Sherpas are required to bring down wastes from the mountain which can prove fatal when exhaustion kicks in. That is another aspect in mountaineering where this tech can prove useful and sometimes a boon," he added.
"Following the successful testings last year, the use of unmanned aerial will not just contribute to effective waste management in the world's highest peak but minimise casualties as well," Tshering Sherpa, CEO of SPCC reiterated.
Eight drone pilots including three icefall doctors who were trained for this purpose will set up camps at the base camp and Camp I on Everest this season. "The team will fly out wastes and bring in needed equipment using the drone, minimising the number of boots traversing the risky Khumbu Icefall section," he said adding that the team will also conduct test flights from camp I to Camp II in the process.
In a bid to further manage waste, the local municipality has also mandated the use of poop bags for each climber to control waste management which will be overseen by the Sagarmatha Pollution Control Committee (SPCC). Climbers will now have to bring back at least eight kilograms of waste back from the mountain to receive a clearance letter for their hefty deposit.
According to Tshering Sherpa, keeping the mountains clean has proved to be a significant challenge above Camp III and on Camp IV, which has become a dumpyard over the course of years despite repeated efforts from stakeholders and the Nepal Army.
"We are also looking to secure a safe flight route to operate the drone to and from the base camp without affecting climbers. Team members will be in regular contact with Lukla Airport so as to not interfere with any incoming helicopter flights around the base camp proximity," he added.
SPCC also aims to further train all its eight icefall doctors in the coming days to be able to use the drone beyond Camp I and Khumbu if needed.
Tshering further explained that the use of drones have been implemented to address the waste issues and not for commercial use. "Mountaineering is the lifeline for the local Sherpa community and it is not our goal to affect them in any way. This will not affect employment for high altitude workers as equipment will still need to be carried above the first camp and brought back.," he said adding that the use of drone technology is introduced to clean the environment whil;e also minimising casualties in the Khumbu icefall section and beyond.
Mingma Chiri Sherpa, chairman of Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality said, "Many Sherpas have lost their lives in the Khumbu Icefall section alone. As they have to transverse the section around 15 times in a single Everest expedition, the risk only grows. The use of drones will minimise the foot traffic when wastes and used equipment need to be transported up and down.