On Sunday, two historic climbs took place on Mount Everest. Kami Rita Sherpa, a Nepali sherpa, reached the summit for a record-breaking 29th time, breaking his own world record. With over two decades of experience as a guide and having made an almost yearly ascent since 1994, Sherpa is a true mountaineering legend.
Meanwhile, British climber Kenton Cool marked his 18th peak on Mount Everest on the same day. A mountaineering guide by profession, Cool has previously downplayed his achievements but acknowledged that many Sherpas have more ascents than him.
The climbing season on Mount Everest has just begun with hundreds of climbers expected to make the trek in the coming weeks. Nepal’s government has granted about 400 mountaineering permits for the spring season, with almost all climbers being accompanied by local guides. Approximately 800 people are expected to make the ascent this year.
Lhakpa Sherpa holds the record for the most ever climbs of Mount Everest and successfully completed her tenth climb in 2022 through crowd-funding. Last year was one of the deadliest climbing seasons on the mountain with 18 deaths recorded.