Nepali duo break own records on Mt Everest
Sign up now: Get insights on Asia's fast-moving developments
Mr Kami Rita Sherpa, 56, climbed Mount Everest for the first time in 1994 and has repeated the feat almost every year.
PHOTO: REUTERS
KATHMANDU – A Nepali climber dubbed the “Everest Man”, Mr Kami Rita Sherpa, scaled Mount Everest for a record 32nd time on May 17, while Ms Lhakpa Sherpa broke her own women’s record with an 11th summit triumph.
“Today, Nepali climbers have once again written history on this glorious mountain,” Prime Minister Balen Shah said, in a post on social media.
“Such historic achievements can only be attained through unwavering courage, strict self-discipline, and sincere dedication to one’s work,” he added.
Mr Kami Rita Sherpa, 56, first stood on the top of Mt Everest in 1994 while working for a commercial expedition.
Since then, he has climbed it almost every year, guiding clients.
Ms Lhakpa Sherpa, 52, known as the “Mountain Queen”, made her breakthrough in 2000, becoming the first Nepali woman to successfully reach the world’s highest peak.
“This is another milestone in Nepal’s mountaineering history,” Mr Himal Gautam, spokesperson for Nepal’s Tourism Department, told AFP.
“Their record gives greater excitement to other climbers... By breaking records through healthy competition on Everest, will help make climbing safer, more dignified and better managed.”
Mr Kami Rita Sherpa, speaking in 2024 after another ascent of the 8,849m peak, said he was “just working” and did not plan on setting records.
A climbing boom has made mountaineering a lucrative business since Sir Edmund Hillary and Mr Tenzing Norgay Sherpa made the first ascent in 1953.
Nepal has issued a record 492 permits this season, with a city of tents set up at the foot of Mt Everest for climbers and support staff.
Mr Shah on May 17 also praised the contribution of the Sherpa community, calling them “unsung heroes of the Himalayas,” for bravely accepting risks and safely guiding climbers from around the world to the summit.
As most mountaineers attempt the ascent with the help of at least one Nepali guide, about a thousand climbers are expected to head for the summit in the next few days.
The high numbers have rekindled concerns about overcrowding on the mountain, especially if poor weather shortens the climbing window. AFP
