Nepali ‘Everest Man’ breaks own record with 31st summit
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Nepal's Mr Kami Rita Sherpa reached the peak of Mount Everest for a record 31st time on May 27.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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KATHMANDU – A 55-year-old Nepali Sherpa dubbed the “Everest Man” reached the peak of the world’s highest mountain for a record 31st time on May 27, more than three decades after his first summit.
“Massive congratulations to the legendary Kami Rita Sherpa on his 31st successful ascent of Everest – the highest number of ascents by anyone in history,” said expedition organiser Seven Summit Treks.
“Kami Rita Sherpa needs no introduction. He is not just a national climbing hero, but a global symbol of Everest itself,” it added.
Mr Kami Rita first stood on the top of Mount Everest in 1994 when he was working for a commercial expedition. Since then, he has climbed Everest almost every year, guiding clients.
Mr Kami Rita, speaking in 2024 after he had climbed the 8,849m peak for the 29th and 30th times, said that he was “just working” and did not plan on setting records.
“I am glad for the record, but records are eventually broken,” he told AFP news agency in May 2024.
“I am more happy that my climbs help Nepal be recognised in the world.”
Seven Summit Treks said he completed the climb on May 27 as the leader of an Indian army team, adding that he “not only reached the summit himself but also led and guided the last remaining members of the team to the top”.
The achievement comes as the spring climbing season nears its end.
More than 500 climbers and their guides have already reached the summit of Everest since the route opened, taking advantage of brief spells of good weather, according to Nepal’s tourism department.
The season has so far recorded the fewest number of deaths on Everest in recent years. Two climbers, a Filipino and an Indian, have died on its high camps this season
Nepal has issued more than 1,100 permits for mountaineers this season, including 458 for Everest, earning more than US$5 million (S$6.4 million) in royalties.
The country is home to eight of the world’s 10 highest peaks and welcomes hundreds of adventurers each spring when temperatures are warmer and winds typically calmer.
Earlier in May, British climber Kenton Cool, 51, successfully climbed Everest for the 19th time, extending his own record for the most summits by a non-Nepali.
Tourism Ministry official Himal Gautam, director of its mountaineering and adventure section, said Mr Kami Rita’s achievement reflected the country’s wider efforts.
“Kami Rita Sherpa’s record ascent has helped to take Nepal’s mountaineering sector to the next height,” Mr Gautam said.
A climbing boom has made mountaineering a lucrative business since Sir Edmund Hillary and Sherpa Tenzing Norgay made the first Everest ascent in 1953.
More than 800 climbers made it to the peak of Everest in 2024, including 74 from the northern Tibet side. AFP
