image source, Getty Images
- author, Francis Mao
- role, bbc news
There were two record-breaking ascents of Mount Everest on Sunday, with a Nepalese Sherpa achieving the most summits in history and a British climber setting a record for a foreigner.
Kami Rita Sherpa, 54, has climbed the world’s highest peak for the 29th time, while British Kenton Cool has climbed the peak for the 18th time.
Sherpa is already a world record holder and has smashed his own landmark in setting a new standard.
A guide for more than 20 years, he first climbed the mountain in 1994 and has climbed almost every year since.
Climbing season has just begun on Everest, with hundreds of climbers expected to reach the summit in the coming weeks.
The Sherpas reached the 8,849-meter (29,000-foot) summit on Sunday at around 7:30 a.m. local time (1:45 GMT).
Last week, he posted on Instagram from Everest base camp that he had returned to attempt his 29th ascent “to the top of the world.”
“One man’s job, another man/woman’s dream,” he wrote.
The Sherpa had previously told the media that his mountaineering was just a job, but he made two treks last year to reclaim the title from his long-time rival and compatriot Pasang Dawa Sherpa.
Mr Cool, from Gloucestershire, also reached the summit on Sunday, local authorities said.
image source, Getty Images
The British man, who is also a mountaineering guide, has previously downplayed his achievements, telling AFP in 2022 that “so many Sherpas are climbing so many more”.
Lhakpa Sherpa, the woman who has achieved the most summits of Everest, is using crowdfunding to raise money for her world record 10th summit in 2022.
The Nepali government has issued about 400 climbing permits to climbers this year for the spring season, which runs from April to June. Around 800 people are expected to reach the summit, as nearly all climbers will be accompanied by local guides.
Last year, the number peaked at more than 600. However, this was also the deadliest climbing season, with 18 deaths recorded on the mountain.