A tech company made the very first drone delivery to climbers on Mount Everest. It then picked up trash. Deliveries are difficult because flying helicopters in the thin air is dangerous. The video is in Chinese with English subtitles.
MOUNT EVEREST – A Chinese-based technology company said it has successfully carried out the world’s first delivery drone trials on Mount Everest in Nepal.
DJI Technology said it teamed up with Nepalese drone service company Airlift, video production company 8KRAW, and Nepalese-certified mountain guide Mingma Gyalje Sherpa to achieve the accomplishment back in April.
The drone flying past the south slope of Mt. Everest at 21,654 feet and carrying 33 pounds of oxygen canisters.
(DJI and 8KRAW / FOX Weather)
The drone, DJI FlyCart 30, can carry 33-pound payloads even in the extreme altitude and environmental conditions atop the mountain.
The test run included three oxygen bottles and pounds of other supplies that were flown from Everest Base Camp to Camp 1. Trash was carried back down on the return flight.
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The drone returning after the first successful delivery.
(DJI and 8KRAW / FOX Weather)
“From the end of April, our team embarked on a groundbreaking endeavor to help make cleanup efforts on Everest safer and more efficient,” Christina Zhang, Senior Corporate Strategy Director at DJI, said in an online news release. “We are thrilled to share that our DJI FlyCart 30 was up to the task. The ability to safely transport equipment, supplies, and waste by drone has the potential to revolutionize Everest mountaineering logistics, facilitate trash cleanup efforts, and improve safety for all involved.”
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The drone traversed Mt. Everest’s icefall.
(DJI and 8KRAW / FOX Weather)
Though helicopters can make the same journey, they’re often not used due to the dangers and costs.
The company said Sherpa guides were usually responsible for delivering supplies and cleaning trash. However, they needed to cross an icefall more than 30 times in a season.
“We need to spend 6-8 hours each day walking through this icefall,” said Mingma Gyalje Sherpa, Imagine Nepal mountain guide. “Last year I lost three Sherpas. If we’re not lucky, if our time is not right, we lose our life there.”
The company said the Nepalese government contracted a drone delivery service on the southern slope of Everest which started on May 22.