KATHMANDU, Nepal – A renowned US mountain guide has achieved the rare Mount Everest region “triple crown” of climbing the Everest, Lhotse and Nuptse peaks in one season, as the season’s death toll on the world’s highest mountain hit 12.

Mr Garrett Madison climbed Lhotse, the world’s fourth-tallest peak at 8,516m, on Thursday, a day after he made his 13th ascent of Everest, at 8,849m, said Mr Ishwari Paudel of the Himalayan Guides company, which is helping Mr Madison with logistics.

Mr Madison, 44, who owns Seattle-based company Madison Mountaineering, climbed the smaller but technically difficult Nuptse peak, at 7,855m, on May 8.

“It is very difficult to climb all three peaks in a single season, and only a few other mountaineers have done it,” Mr Paudel said.

Mr Madison was accompanied by three Sherpa climbers on all three peaks, Mr Paudel added.

“We are extremely proud of the team and this tremendous accomplishment,” Mr Madison said on his company website.

British climber Kenton Cool, who climbed the triple crown in 2013, described Mr Madison as an “unflappable expedition leader” who quietly goes about his job.

“When I climbed what became known as the Triple Crown in one season, I said it wouldn’t be done again for 10 years,” Mr Cool, 49, told Reuters in a text message.

“I’m happy now that 10 years later, it’s Garrett who has managed to achieve the same feat… Bravo!!”

On May 17, Mr Cool set a new record of 17 summits of Everest, the world’s highest peak, by a foreign climber.

Nepali guide Kami Rita Sherpa this week climbed Everest for the 28th time, the most by any mountaineer.

More deaths

Separately, Nepali tourism official Khim Lal Gautam announced that another climber – Canadian Petrus Albertyn Swart, 63 – died inside the “death zone” while trying to reach Everest’s summit. 

This brought the season’s death toll so far to 12.

At least three other climbers remained missing or out of contact.

Among those still missing were Singaporean climber Shrinivas Sainis Dattatraya and a deaf and mute Malaysian climber, Mr Muhammad Hawari Hashim.

Mr Swart’s death came just days after Australian Jason Bernard Kennison, 40, died on Sunday near the “Balcony”, a small platform at 8,400m where climbers can rest on their way to the summit.

Mountaineer Alan Arnette said in his blog that another Sherpa “whose hands froze” had also died.

On Instagram, Mr Arnette also shared this account by Everest guide Gelje Sherpa: “At the Balcony, during our summit push around 8,300m, I saw someone in danger, a man who needed rescuing and no one else was helping.

“I made the decision to cancel our clients’ summit push so that I could bring him down to safety before he dies up there alone. I carried him myself all the way down to Camp 4, where a rescue team helped from then on.” REUTERS