A 52-year-old British mountaineer has set a new record by reaching the summit of Mount Everest for the 20th time. Kenton Cool became the first non-Nepali to achieve this milestone early on Friday morning.
However, even as he celebrated and began his descent, voices were calling for restrictions on the 8,849-meter (29,032-foot) mountain after news that two Indian climbers had died.
Cool is expected to arrive at base camp later this weekend after his latest ascent. In a statement reported by Reuters, he said climbing Everest never becomes "easier or less frightening. It is the highest mountain in the world and it comes with an amazing sense of majesty."
"I rely on every bit of experience I have to move safely in this environment. Standing on the summit for the 20th time is incredibly special."
Cool is the first non-Sherpa to achieve the feat, but at least seven Nepali climbers have more than 20 summits. Kami Rita Sherpa, 55, known as "Everest Man," reached the top for the 32nd time on Sunday, extending his world record.
The British climber first reached Everest's summit in 2004 and has made expeditions nearly every year since then. His journey to the top of the world has not been without hardship; he was once told he would never walk again without assistance after a rock-climbing accident in 1996 that broke both his heel bones.
Lukas Furtenbach, who has climbed Everest four times and is an expedition organizer, told Reuters that Cool is "quietly rewriting records," calling him an "absolute legend" for amassing more Everest summits than any non-Sherpa in history.
Cool's achievement comes on the heels of another record. On Wednesday, more than 270 climbers ascended via Nepal's southern route, the highest single-day number. This has prompted renewed calls for action to curb overcrowding and improve safety.
Two Indian climbers were reported to have reached the summit but died during their descent after "falling ill," Nivesh Karki, director of the company Pioneer Adventure, told AFP. Authorities are trying to bring the bodies down from the peak. Officials said this brings the death toll in this year's Everest season to five.
Eight of the world's ten highest peaks are in Nepal, and thousands attempt to climb these mountains each year. Photos posted by climbers show long lines of people ascending fixed ropes, queuing in freezing, oxygen-starved high-altitude zones.
Kami Rita Sherpa on Friday expressed concern about climbers' experience. "The government should control it a bit," he told AFP. "They should only allow quality climbers; there must be a limit."
