A 55 -year -old Nepalese climber nicknamed “Everest Man has reached the top of the highest mountain in the world for a record on Tuesday, more than three decades after its first summit.
“Massive congratulations to the legendary Kami Rita Sherpa for its 31st successful ascent of Everest – the greatest number of ascents by anyone in history,” said a statement from the organizers of the expedition, Seven Summit Treks.
“Kami Rita Sherpa does not need an introduction. He is not only a hero of national climbing, but a global symbol of Everest himself,” he added.
Sherpa was held for the first time at the top of Mont Everest in 1994 when he worked on a commercial expedition. He has climbed on Everest almost every year since, guiding customers.
Sherpa, speaking a year ago after climbing the summit of 8,849 meters (29,032 feet) for the 29th and 30th times, said that he was “working just” and had not planned to set files.
“I am happy for the record, but the records are finally broken,” he said AFP in May 2024.
“I am happier than my ascents help Nepal to be recognized in the world.”
Seven Summit Treks said that he had finished the climb on Tuesday as head of the Indian army team, adding that he “had not only reached the summit himself, but also led and guided the last members of the remaining team at the top”.
‘At the next height’
Success occurs when the spring climbing season approaches its end.
More than 500 climbers and their guides have already reached the Summit of Everest since the opening of the route, taking advantage of brief spells of good weather, according to the Nepal Tourism department.
So far, the season has recorded the least death in Everest in recent years. Two climbers, Philippins and Indians, died in its high camps.
Nepal has issued more than 1,100 permits for Mountaineers this season, including 458 for Everest, earning more than $ 5 million in fees.
The country houses eight of the 10 highest peaks in the world and hosts hundreds of adventurers each spring when the temperatures are warmer and the winds are generally quieter.
Earlier this month, the British climber Kenton Cool, 51, managed to reach Everest for the 19th time, extending his own record for most of the summits by a non-Nepali.
Himal Gautam, head of the tourist ministry, director of his mountaineering and adventure section, said that the realization of Sherpa reflected the wider efforts of the country.
“The record ascent of Kami Rita Sherpa has contributed to passing the Nepal mountaineering sector to the next height,” said Gautam.
An climbing boom has made mountaineering a lucrative business since Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay Sherpa made the first ascent in 1953.
Last year, more than 800 climbers reached the Everest summit, including 74 on the north side of Tibet.
