The use of drone technology has set a new record in supporting the safety of expeditions on the world's highest mountain. Drone technology manufacturer DJI, collaborating with Nepalese company Airlift Technology, successfully mapped the disaster-prone Khumbu Icefall area on Mount Everest during the 2026 climbing season. Through the integration of the DJI Matrice 4E unit and the DJI Terra data processing software, the team successfully created high-precision three-dimensional modeling at extreme altitudes of over 6,000 meters above sea level.
Before the utilization of this technology, the terrain mapping process relied entirely on the bravery of the Sherpa team, nicknamed the "Icefall Doctors". These experts had to directly navigate the dangerous area between Base Camp (5,364 meters) and Camp 1 (6,500 meters) to install ladders and safety ropes. The dynamic characteristics of the terrain due to glacier movements often placed these pathfinders under the threat of giant ice collapses and hidden crevasses.
In this aerial operation, the DJI Matrice 4E drone flew along an automatically programmed route. In just 3.5 hours amidst extreme temperatures reaching -20°C, the device mapped an area of more than 3 square kilometers. Equipped with a five-direction imaging system, the drone took high-resolution oblique images of complex ice structures without compromising personnel safety.
The collected image data was then processed using DJI Terra to generate a 3D model reconstruction accurate to the centimeter level. Airlift Technology CEO, Raj Bikram Maharjan, revealed that this technology was applied for the first time in a real operational scenario in Nepal. With this digital modeling, Sherpa teams can identify the locations of crevasses and plot the best climbing routes before stepping foot into the dangerous area.
The reliability of this aerial mapping technology proved crucial during the 2026 climbing season. When an icefall incident blocked the main access and stranded hundreds of climbers at Base Camp, the DJI drone quickly detected changes in the terrain contours and found a safe alternative route. In addition to cutting survey duration from weeks to just a single day, this spatial data archive also serves as an important instrument for scientists to monitor the rate of glacier thinning due to climate change.
