Hardcore Mount Everest geeks (myself included) can close their eyes and envision route connecting Nepal’s Base Camp to the summit.
The Southeast Ridge ascent passes the familiar landmarks that, over the decades, have come to define the peak: Khumbu Icefall, Western Cwm, Lhotse Face, South Col, and of course the Hillary Step. And last year, a drone video made by Chinese manufacturer DJI helped fans view every step up the ascent in a thrilling eight-minute clip.
But what about Mount Everest’s Northeast Ridge route? The peak’s other flank, which sits in Tibet, does not have the same level of name recognition as the southern route. This is despite the fact that 100 or so climbers ascend the northern flank each year, including teams led by British-American guide Adrian Ballinger, and Austrian guide Lukas Furtenbach.
But a new high-definition drone video may help Everest fanatics who will never set foot on the peak better understand the nothern route.
In June, Chinese high-altitude photographer Ma Chunlin published a crips video that captures the north slope ascent in a single and uninterrupted cut.
According to China Global Television Network, a state-run news outlet, Ma Chunlin hiked to the advanced base camp in Tibet at 21,325 feet and then waited for clear skies and calm winds to launch his draft.
“The shoot had to begin at sunrise, timed down to the exact minute, and follow the climbing route precisely, without a single error in camera movement,” the story states.
I wholeheartedly encourage you to watch the 4:30 clip—it’s stunning overhead images capture the mixture of snow, rock, and ice that climbers must navigate on the way to the top. It showcases the seemingly precarious spots of Camp I on a snow-covered ridge and Camp II in a wind-sept slope, as well as the iconic yellow band just below the top. No, it’s still not as cool as the 2024 virtual reality film The Quest: Everest VR. But it’s definitely a welcomed addition to the growing collection of high-altitude Everest footage.
