Elating experience

As consumer drones become more affordable and sophisticated, new possibilities open up for photographers and videographers working in extreme environments.

Li Heng, 32, a videographer based in the Tibet autonomous region who was looking to find alternative perspectives of the classic landscapes and people, turned to drones in 2016 to help him capture footage of snow-capped mountains, glaciers and deserts from up on high.

Li made it his priority to seek out remote or unexplored locations to capture rare images that other photographers would find virtually impossible to execute or replicate.

Carrying the bulk of their own climbing equipment, cameras and two drones, Li and his team of climbers started their journey to the peak of Mount Nochma, a snowcapped mountain in Sichuan province that stands at 5,588 meters above sea level, in May.

Despite the cold condition, shortness of breath caused by the thin air and the heavy backpacks, Li said he got goose bumps when he saw the first footage from the drone relayed back to his smartphone.

Amid the gleaming snowcapped slopes set against a background of blue firmament and the ever-changing swirl of mist and clouds, the group of climbers could be seen slowly trudging up the mountain in single file, leaving a string of footprints in the snow.