Sunday witnessed two remarkable achievements on Mount Everest, as a Nepali sherpa and a British climber set new records for summit climbs. Kami Rita Sherpa, aged 54, ascended the world’s tallest mountain for the 29th time, surpassing his own world record.
A seasoned guide for over two decades, Sherpa first conquered the summit in 1994 and has made the arduous climb almost every year since then. Meanwhile, British climber Kenton Cool marked his 18th ascent, setting a record for a foreigner. Both climbers reached the 8,849m (29,000ft) summit on Sunday, with Sherpa achieving the feat around 07:30 local time. Despite his exceptional achievements, Sherpa maintains a modest perspective, describing his climbs as work.
Last year, he reclaimed his record from long-time rival Pasang Dawa Sherpa by completing the trek twice. Kenton Cool, hailing from Gloucestershire, downplays his accomplishments, acknowledging the remarkable achievements of Sherpas. Meanwhile, Lhakpa Sherpa holds the record for the most climbs by a woman, reaching the summit for the 10th time in 2022 through crowd-funding.
This climbing season, Nepal’s government has issued around 400 mountaineering permits, with nearly all climbers accompanied by local guides. Despite the high number of successful ascents last year, it was also one of the deadliest seasons on record, with 18 fatalities reported on the mountain.
