Saw this and figured id chime in since you mentioned being clumsy on a ridge. Honestly, if you still have 80 bucks, spend a tiny bit on a screen protector for that RC 2 controller. I use the Spigen Glas.tR EZ Fit Screen Protector for DJI RC 2 because it comes with an alignment frame that makes it impossible to mess up. One rock chip on that screen and your trip is ruined. Another thing people overlook is the SD card situation. If that one card fails, you lose everything from the Alps. I usually compare the SanDisk Extreme 128GB microSDXC V30 against the Samsung PRO Plus 256GB microSDXC. The SanDisk is basically the industry standard for reliability, but the Samsung is usually cheaper per gig and just as fast for 4K. I usually carry two smaller ones rather than one huge one... just in case. You should definitely peek at the MavicPilots forum or even DC Rainmaker's site, they have deep dives on which cards actually hold up under heavy use. Better to be safe than sorry when you're halfway up a mountain.

Honestly, since you mentioned being clumsy on a ridge, just get a neck strap for the remote. I use the Lykus Lanyard for DJI RC 2 and it works well for peace of mind. Im super happy with it because if I slip, I wont drop the controller down a cliff. It's cheap and really helps. Also, maybe grab a SanDisk Extreme 256GB microSDXC V30 so you dont run out of storage mid-hike.

I've spent years lugging gear up various mountain ranges and honestly, the technical side of these small drones is where people get caught out. In my experience, the biggest threat in the Alps isnt the wind, it is the grit. These mini drones have such low ground clearance that the gimbal basically acts like a vacuum for dust and tiny pebbles during takeoff. I learned that the hard way on a trip a few seasons back when a tiny piece of schist got stuck in the motor housing during a mountain hike. Now I always carry a simple weighted pad. It folds up to nothing but provides a clean environment for the sensors to calibrate and keeps the optics clear of debris. Regarding the filters, it really comes down to the 180-degree rule of shutter speed. If you are shooting in the snow, your shutter speed is gonna spike to like 1/4000 to compensate for the light, which makes your video look jittery and weirdly sharp. I found that having a set of filters allowed me to lock my shutter at double my frame rate, giving me that natural motion blur that makes the footage actually look professional. I've tried many different setups over the years, and while the sensor is great, it cant physics its way out of a high shutter speed. Also, definitely skip the hand catching if youre on a windy ridge. I almost lost a chunk of skin trying that in a 15mph gust once... it is just not worth the risk when you can just find a flat-ish spot for a small landing mat.

Building on the earlier suggestion, grit wears down motors. I'd grab:

• PGYTECH Drone Landing Pad Pro
• Freewell All Day 6-Pack ND Filters Snow glare is brutal so filters are pretty useful, dont skip em.