Ama Dablam Cleanup Project Innovating High-Altitude Waste Management with Drones

In 2024, the groundbreaking Ama Dablam Cleanup Project tackled waste pollution on Nepal’s iconic 6,812m peak using drone technology. Led by Chief Drone Pilot Upesh Upreti in collaboration with the Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality and Sagarmatha Pollution Control Committee (SPCC), the mission aimed to remove accumulated human/kitchen waste from high-altitude camps (C1/C2) and airlift critical supplies to climbers—addressing an environmental crisis in one of the Himalayas’ most technically treacherous regions.

As Chief Drone Pilot, I spearheaded all technical operations, overcoming extreme challenges. We designed automated flight paths across steep ridges (1,450m vertical gain), executed 23 precision flights with DJI FlyCart-30 drones at record 6,000m altitudes, and managed payload logistics amid permit delays, communication blackouts, and brutal cold.This project enabled the removal of waste and delivery of of supplies 640 kg payload in total—proving drones’ viability in such an extrem conditions.

The project set a new benchmark for high-altitude conservation. Our expertise demonstrated that a single drone could potentially transport 400 kg daily at full capacity, revolutionizing sustainable mountain cleanup. We streamlined permits, enhanced battery systems, and payload safety protocols—pave the way for scalable eco-innovation across the Himalayas.

Figure:- Team photo (from left to right: Upesh Upreti, Milan Pandey, Tshring Tenzing Sherpa, Dawa Jangbu Sherpa, Dawa Tshri Sherpa and Dawa Nuru Sherpa )