Summiting Everest From Tibet: Stunning Drone Footage of the Most Dangerous Route

In Tibet, the mountain most of the world calls Mt. Everest is known as Qomolangma, Goddess Mother of the World. The Goddess welcomes very few visitors on her northern side – less than 10 percent of those attempting to summit the world’s highest peak do so from the Tibetan side, the vast majority begin and end their treks in Nepal. The Tibetan side of Everest often sees less than 50 climbers per year reach the 29,032-foot summit. A new short film published to YouTube by the account China Plus documents the expedition of Chinese high-altitude photographer Ma Chunlin as he attempts to film an ascent of Qomolangma in a single take – and the footage is breathtaking.

One striking aspect of the film is that during the first few seconds of the drone ascent, the mountain looks much like other high-alpine peaks – viewers already accustomed to spending time at high elevations – for climbing or skiing, perhaps – may find themselves thinking, “I could rip that.”

But then the camera shifts upslope, and that perception immediately shifts. The viewer experiences how intimidating Qomolangma is – steep, rocky chutes and ice falls line either side of the steep path to the summit. The footage highlights the location of Camp 2 along a rocky ridge before ascending into the “death zone” at 8,000 meters (26,246 feet) and eventually flying over Camp 3 at 8,300 meters (27,231 feet). Miraculously, the skies are blue above the summit at this point, a spindrift wisping from the peak above the rocky ledge that marks climbers’ final approach.

Upon reaching the Yellow Band at 8,400 meters (27,559 feet) the drone turns west toward the summit. The view is jaw-dropping – just above the Third Step at 8,564 meters (28,097 feet), the drone flies above a group of climbers working their way up the final Traverse, and just above them, another group ascending the final pitch toward the summit. A solo climber waves from the summit, their certain exhaustion not nearly as visible as the stoke of their triumph.

Of course, once at the peak, one must go back down. The footage highlights a group of climbers on the iconic Chinese Ladder portion of the descent before zooming out for an incredible overview shot of the “Everest Shadow” – the striking triangular shadow cast by Mount Everest during sunrise or sunset when the sunlight is entirely blocked from reaching the mountain’s opposite side. Keep that in mind the next time you’re on plane at 30,000 feet.