New Delhi: Mount Everest is known to test human resolve. But, behind the success stories and summit photos lies a harsh truth—the world’s highest peak is covered with garbage and even the bodies of climbers who never returned.
Despite the government leading clean-up drives, much of the waste—ranging from empty oxygen canisters, discarded tents to food packaging, human faeces—remains trapped at higher altitudes, where harsh weather and dangerous terrain make its collection near impossible.
Now, a startup in Nepal is using heavy-duty drones to tackle the growing waste crisis from what is now often called the “world’s highest garbage dump.”
“When we looked at Everest, we saw a problem that couldn’t be solved with traditional methods alone,” Airlift Technology CEO Raj Bikram Maharjan told ThePrint over the phone. “Climbers generate waste at high altitudes, but bringing it down takes hours of human effort and puts lives at risk. We believe drones can change that equation.”
At least 600 people try their luck to summit Everest annually. The numbers have been growing over the years. In 2019, Nepalese mountaineer Nirmal Purja had taken a viral photo showing a long line of climbers on Everest.
Each individual generates approximately at least eight kg of garbage. The Everest Summiteers Association estimated that the peak was covered in about 30 tonnes of waste, according to a report published by UK-based magazine Geographical in 2022.
Until now, sherpas and porters have been carrying down the waste but that also means exposing them to hostile weather and enormous risks posed by terrains like the Khumbu Icefall, which is notorious for avalanches and collapsing ice towers.
Located between Everest Base Camp and Camp I at an elevation of 5,486 metre, Khumbu Icefall is considered as a treacherous section due to the danger of avalanches, falling ice and hidden crevasses.
For Bikram, an aeronautical engineer, the idea had roots in a tragedy that took place a decade ago. In 2015, when Nepal was struck by a devastating earthquake, he built homemade drones to deliver supplies and help rescuers reach remote areas.
“That experience showed me drones weren’t just gadgets—they could be lifelines,” Bikram told ThePrint over the phone. “Years later, when we saw how dangerous Everest clean-ups were, it (the idea) clicked. If drones could carry relief supplies, they could also carry down trash and maybe, one day, even bring bodies back safely.”
Airlift Technology partnered with DJI—SZ DJI Technology Co. Ltd., also known as Da-Jiang Innovations—the Chinese drone manufacturer for the mission. It then collaborated with the Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality and Sagarmatha Pollution Control Committee (SPCC), a non-profit, non-governmental organisation, which provided ground coordination and waste-handling facilities.
While the team successfully flew the drone at an altitude of over 6,000 m with a payload of 15 kg, the maximum payload tested at Everest Base Camp was 32 kg.
But, testing drones at that altitude was no easy task. Thin air, sub-zero temperatures, unpredictable winds, and sudden storms, all threatened flight performance. Even battery life shrank dramatically.
“We spent weeks testing and adjusting,” Bikram recalled. “Every gram of payload mattered. Right now, our drones carry about 15 kg per flight, with battery life lasting 15–20 minutes. That’s just enough to make round trips between higher camps and Base Camp.”
Though 15 kg sounds minuscule, the impact is significant. Each drone flight can cut down hours of climbing and reduce the chances of Sherpas risking dangerous terrains. “What once took hours of backbreaking work now happens in minutes,” Bikram told ThePrint.
The drones have already proven capable of flying over the Khumbu Icefall, one of the most perilous sections of the mountain. Programmed routes allow them to bypass unstable ice, freeing humans from one of Everest’s deadliest zones.
Another factor that makes drones a viable option is that helicopters—that can also be deployed for the purpose—are not just expensive but also vulnerable to weather vagaries. In contrast, drones are cost-effective, safer, and capable of frequent flights. The role of helicopters cannot be replaced entirely, but drones have shown promise of delivering smaller loads and undertaking precision missions.
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The road ahead
Nearly 200 bodies are said to be present on Everest, also known as Sagarmatha in Nepali, with many lying frozen on slopes considered too dangerous to scale. Six years ago, Nepal launched its first Everest cleaning campaign that also included retrieving some bodies of dead climbers.
The Himalayan nation, meanwhile, has cleared over 100 tonnes of waste since 2019. This spring alone, the SPCC collected over 83 tonnes of garbage. That included 25,056 kg of paper, plastic, and clothing; 8,374 kg of metal and glass; 17,861 kg of kitchen waste; and 31,797 kg of human waste. On top of that, workers retrieved 788 used gas canisters and 1,802 spent batteries from the slopes.
As of now, Airlift is focusing on cleaning garbage. The work doesn’t end with the drones dropping waste at the Base Camp. The SPCC staff step in to sort, package, and transport it further down to Kathmandu or regional recycling and disposal centers. Waste is categorized: plastics and packaging materials are separated for recycling, metals for reuse, oxygen tanks for safe disposal, and human waste for sealed transport.
“Technology from DJI, field expertise from SPCC and the municipality, and our focus on operations all coming together to tackle the same goal,” Bikram told ThePrint.
“This technology doesn’t replace our work,” a senior SPCC staffer in Khumbu said over the phone. “It supports us. For Sherpas, it reduces danger. For the environment, it is non-polluting. We’re glad to have it.”
The Sherpa community’s response has been mostly positive. “Every time we go to carry down garbage or gear, we risk falling ice or avalanches,” said Tashi Sherpa, a guide from Namche Bazaar. “If drones can take even a part of that load, it saves lives. But we also need climbers themselves to act responsibly. They cannot just leave waste behind.”
Both the SPCC and the Sherpas see drones as a way to support their work, not replace them, Bikram told ThePrint.
“We’re also seeing enthusiasm from young people eager to learn drone technology, as well as from guides who recognize its potential to enhance safety on the peak,” he said.
Pemba, a 19-year-old student in Khumjung, told ThePrint that he was looking forward to learning about drones. “It’s a future skill and if it helps protect our mountains, it’s even better,” he said.
The Everest project, according to Bikram, is just the beginning. “Our first goal was to show that drones can work in the Himalayan terrain,” he said. “Now we want to grow—with more drones, bigger loads, and more waste cleared. In the future, trained local teams will run the work, and we hope to expand to other peaks in Nepal.”
Beyond the Himalayas, the team at Airlift believes drone-based waste management could help other remote or mountainous regions around the world.
Stakeholders agree that drones are not a silver bullet to clear the garbage dumped on the roof of the world. Climbers, guides, and expedition organizers will also have to change their practices, they say.
Stricter tracking of gear and incentives for “clean expeditions” are among the measures being discussed. From 2014 onwards, Nepal had made it mandatory for climbers to bring back 8 kg of trash or lose a $4,000 deposit.
“Drones can carry the load, but people must carry responsibility,” Bikram said. “The future of a clean Everest depends on everyone—climbers, communities, and technology together.”
The journey feels like it has come full circle since Bikram built his first own drone during the earthquake. “We started with an emergency,” he said. “Now, with Everest, we’re looking at dignity—for the mountain, for the Sherpas, and for those who never came back down.”
(Edited by Tony Rai)
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