Chinese drone scales new heights in Mount Everest supply delivery, waste removal missions

DJI’s FlyCart 30 could ‘revolutionise’ mountaineering logistics and safety, while reducing litter, but tech company faces uphill climb in US Congress

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Drones could one day help reduce demands on local Nepalese guides who make treacherous climbs to remove the tonnes of waste discarded by thousands of climbers, and even deliver life-saving supplies to people in distress. Photo: Xinhua

Published: 9:06pm, 6 Jun 2024

A Chinese tech company has completed the world’s first successful drone delivery tests on Mount Everest, transporting cargo between camps and removing waste left behind on the mountain by climbers at altitudes above 6,000 metres (19,685 feet).

The feat by drone maker DJI could one day reduce demands on local Nepalese guides who make treacherous climbs to remove the tonnes of rubbish discarded by thousands of climbers and even deliver life-saving supplies to people in distress.

On Wednesday, DJI announced that its FlyCart 30 drone completed a test in April in which it transported 15kg (33 pounds) of oxygen tanks and other supplies from Everest’s South Base Camp at 5,364 metres to Camp 1, 700 metres higher up, before returning to the base camp with the same weight in refuse.

During the round trip – conducted in sub-zero temperatures amid strong winds – the drone reached a peak altitude of nearly 6,200 metres, and still had 43 per cent battery power remaining, according to the company.

DJI’s FlyCart 30 drone takes off for a delivery test from the Mount Everest base camp on April 30. Photo: Xinhua

“The ability to safely transport equipment, supplies and waste by drone has the potential to revolutionise Everest mountaineering logistics, facilitate trash clean-up efforts, and improve safety for all involved,” Christina Zhang, DJI’s senior corporate strategy director, said in a company news release.