Thousands of jobs at Mount Everest may soon be at risk after plans to replace humans with Chinese drones were announced. Sherpas, a Tibetan ethnic group, undertake perilous tasks on foot every day, carrying heavy equipment up and down the world’s tallest mountain.
However, these journeys – which take many hours – will soon be replaced by drones capable of completing the tasks in just a few minutes. The unmanned aircraft will be capable of carrying up to 15kg of equipment, including oxygen cylinders, tents, ropes and ladders and removing waste left behind by climbers. Thanks to their speed, they will also be able to deliver hot food.
The new plans hope to reduce the risks taken by Sherpas and cut out many menial tasks.
However, the Sherpas, who earn around £4,000 a year, as well as politicians and trade unions have slammed the programme as “idiotic.”
“The introduction of drones could take away the livelihoods of thousands of Sherpas,” Ajay Kumar Rai, general secretary of the Nepal Trade Union Congress, told The Telegraph.
“For six months, they risk their lives on Everest, and for the rest of the year, they have no work. If drones start replacing them, what will they do?”
The drones represent the latest in a string of issues that have badly affected Sherpas. Climate change has driven climbers away due to heightened threats of avalanches and landslides.
“Now, technology threatens to push them further to the edge. We are urging the Nepalese government to either stop deploying drones or ensure these workers are given alternative jobs.
“These men have spent their lives navigating Everest’s treacherous terrain, carrying supplies, and guiding climbers. Their livelihoods cannot just be discarded,” Rai added. “We will fight to make sure they are not left behind.”
Rajendra Bajgain, a Nepalese MP told the news outlet: “If this idiotic initiative is going ahead, the government should provide food and health facilities to the Sherpas from the royalties collected from climbers.”
Every year around 600 people attempt to climb the over 29,000-foot mountain, with a permit costing around £8,900. However, from September, climbs during peak season will have to pay £12,180, a 36% rise on the longstanding fee.
Sherpas have been putting their lives on the line for decades, especially through the Khumbu Icefall. This constantly shifting river of ice is notorious for sudden avalanches and collapsing ice columns. Most Sherpas choose to make the crossing at night or before sunrise, to reduce the risk of warmer temperatures causing ice breakaways.
“Using drones could help us avoid the life-threatening dangers of the icefall,” a Nepalese official said.
In April 2014, an avalanche killed 16 Sherpas, forcing the cancellation of that year’s expeditions. Then in 2023, three Sherpas were buried under collapsing ice before even setting off. Their bodies were never found.
