At the legendary Everest Base Camp, amid vast white glaciers and towering peaks, a small buzzing sound breaks the mountain's sacred silence. Moments later, a ladder descends from the sky as if by magic.
Milan Pandey sits comfortably at Everest Base Camp, monitoring his screen while enjoying breathtaking views few have witnessed—all without strapping on crampons or wielding an ice ax. As a drone pilot for Airlift Technology, a Nepalese drone-mapping startup, Pandey represents the vanguard of a technological revolution that's reshaping mountaineering on the world's highest peak.
The ladders, ropes, and oxygen cylinders that Pandey transports via drone to support Sherpas at the treacherous Khumbu Icefall—located between Base Camp and Camp One—are doing more than just making logistics easier; they're saving lives.
"Combining our technical expertise with the Sherpas' decades of mountaineering knowledge creates a powerful partnership that makes Everest expeditions safer for everyone involved," says Pandey.
Dramatic Time Savings
The numbers tell a compelling story. Base Camp sits at approximately 5,364 meters (17,598 ft) above sea level, with Camp One at 6,065 meters (19,900 feet). The aerial distance between these points is roughly 1.8 miles.
While Sherpas traditionally needed six to seven hours to make this journey carrying heavy equipment, drones accomplish the same task in just six to seven minutes—a time reduction of nearly 99%.
This innovation emerged from tragedy. Mingma G Sherpa of Imagine Nepal, an expedition company guiding climbers for nearly a decade, recognized the need after losing three friends and mountain guides in a 2023 avalanche, with their bodies never recovered.
"They had to make twenty round trips up and down the mountain to first map the route and then return for equipment," Mingma explains. "I heard about drones being used on mountains in China, so I thought 'why not here?'"
From Concept to Reality
Around the same time, Raj Bikram, CEO of Airlift Nepal, was already exploring 3D-mapping of Mount Everest when the Khumbu region's mayor inquired about the weight-carrying capacity of drones. By April 2024, using two drones donated by China's DJI, Airlift began testing the concept.
"Initially, we weren't sure how drones would perform at that altitude and temperature," Bikram recalls. "Visibility and wind speeds presented major challenges. It took us a month to learn the terrain."
The company's first environmental initiative used drones to bring down approximately 1,100 pounds of trash from Camp One to Base Camp, requiring more than 40 flights. Each drone can carry about 66 pounds, though they typically limit loads to 44 pounds for safety.
Changing Lives on the Mountain
For the 2025 climbing season, Airlift Technology is helping Sherpas transport equipment before climbers arrive and will collect trash once expeditions begin.
The process works through close collaboration: Sherpas determine which direction to proceed, then Pandey flies a small reconnaissance drone to navigate the trail. Once Sherpas identify specific needs—"we need a ladder here" or "rope is required there"—they communicate coordinates via walkie-talkie, and Pandey delivers the equipment precisely where needed.
Dawa Janzu Sherpa, a 28-year-old "frontman" who has worked with icefall doctors for eight years, confirms the transformation: "This season has particularly difficult conditions with dry ice making trail-fixing challenging. Drones have reduced our time commitment and risk level by half."
As the sole provider for his wife and two daughters, Janzu appreciates the safety improvements: "This is an adventurous but risky job. If there's a way to make it safer, I welcome it."
The Economics of Innovation
Operating at these elevations doesn't come cheap. Each specialized drone costs approximately $70,000 before operational expenses.
"Everything is expensive at Base Camp," notes Bikram. "With no electricity, we need substantial fuel to charge batteries. Then there's transportation to camp, personnel costs, accommodation, and food."
Currently, Airlift operates one drone on Everest with a second as backup. If demand increases, they'll consider deploying both simultaneously.
A New Era for Mountaineering
Mountaineering experts see drone technology as part of climbing's natural evolution.
"If you compare to the early years when there were no satellite phones or advanced weather forecasting, all these technologies have evolved to make climbing safer," observes Caroline Ogle of New Zealand-based Adventure Consultants, who has managed expeditions from Base Camp for five seasons.
Lisa Thompson, who has conquered the highest peaks on all seven continents and now trains climbers through US-based Alpine Athletics, agrees: "I don't believe this innovation diminishes the craft or tradition of climbing. The mountain remains the mountain. The challenge is still real."
Creating a Tech-Enabled Future for Mountain Communities
The drone revolution on Everest represents more than just a technological advancement for mountaineering—it's opening doors to entirely new career paths and economic opportunities for local communities traditionally dependent on high-risk jobs.
While some Sherpas have been leaving the mountains for better opportunities abroad, these technological innovations could reverse this trend by creating safer, more sustainable careers that blend traditional mountain knowledge with cutting-edge technology.
"What we're witnessing is the birth of an entirely new professional category," explains Dr. Lhakpa Norbu, an economist specializing in mountain region development. "Young Nepalis who might have left their communities can now receive technical training in drone operations, data analysis, and equipment maintenance—skills that command premium salaries while preserving their connection to their homeland."
The Nepali government has recognized this potential, recently announcing a Mountain Technology Initiative that will provide subsidized technical education for 500 youth from traditional climbing communities annually.
"A single trained drone technician can earn three times what a traditional porter might make, with substantially reduced physical risk," notes Norbu. "And these are year-round positions, not just seasonal work."
Beyond mountaineering, these skills transfer to other sectors including agriculture, conservation, tourism, and disaster management—all critical for Nepal's development. Drone mapping of glacial lakes helps predict dangerous outburst floods, while aerial surveys assist farmers in remote regions with crop management.
For Milan Pandey, this broader impact is what matters most: "Five years ago, I was just a tech enthusiast with a dream. Today, we're training dozens of young people from climbing families who never imagined careers in technology. They combine their inherent understanding of the mountains with technical skills that will sustain them for life."
As the first climbers of the 2025 season reach Base Camp, they're witnessing not just a safer approach to conquering Everest, but the emergence of a sustainable technological ecosystem that could transform mountain communities for generations to come.
