Two Nepali Sherpa guides have broken their own records on Mount Everest. Kami Rita Sherpa, 56, known as the 'Everest Man,' reached the summit for the 32nd time, surpassing the record of 31 ascents he set last year. Meanwhile, Lhakpa Sherpa, 52, dubbed the 'Queen of the Mountain,' summited for the 11th time, beating her own women's record.
Himal Gautam, a spokesperson for Nepal's tourism department, called this a significant milestone in Nepal's mountaineering history. Kami Rita first stood atop Everest in 1994 while working for a commercial expedition. Since then, he has guided clients up the mountain almost every year, sometimes summiting twice in a single season.
Lhakpa Sherpa first conquered Everest in 2000, becoming the first Nepali woman to successfully ascend and descend the Himalayan peak. Gautam emphasized that the climbers' records inspire others while contributing to safer, more dignified, and better-managed Everest expeditions.
Kami Rita was born in Thame village, Solukhumbu district, the same village as Tenzing Norgay, who first climbed Everest with Edmund Hillary in 1953. The mountaineering boom has turned the activity into a lucrative business. Nepal issued a record 492 Everest permits during the March-to-May climbing season this year.
Among non-Sherpa climbers, the record belongs to British guide Kenton Cool with 19 ascents, followed by Americans Dave Hahn and Garrett Madison, each with 15. Cool and Madison are currently on Everest aiming to improve their records. The large number of climbers and Sherpa guides expected to reach the summit in the coming days has raised concerns about overcrowding on the mountain, especially if bad weather shortens the climbing window.
