Nepali climber reaches summit of Everest for record 30th time

KATHMANDU: Nepali climber Kami Rita Sherpa broke his own record Wednesday as the person to have scaled Mount Everest the most times, achieving the milestone 30th ascent of the world’s highest peak.

The veteran 54-year-old guide had reached the summit for the record 29th time earlier this month, before climbing to the icy top again early on Wednesday morning.

“Kami Rita reached the summit this morning. Now he has made a new record with 30 summits of Everest,” Mingma Sherpa of Seven Summit Treks, his expedition organiser, told AFP.

A guide for more than two decades, Sherpa, also known as “Everest Man”, first stood the 8,849-metre (29,032-foot) peak in 1994 when working for a commercial expedition. Since then he has climbed Everest almost every year, guiding clients.

“I am glad for the record, but records are eventually broken,” Kami Rita told AFP after his 29th climb on May 12.

“I am more happy that my climbs help Nepal be recognised in the world.”

Last year, Sherpa climbed Everest twice to reclaim his record after another guide, Pasang Dawa Sherpa, equalled his number of ascents.

Sherpa has previously said that he has been “just working” and did not plan on setting records.

He has also conquered other 8,000-metre peaks including the world’s second-highest mountain, K2 in Pakistan.

But his success on reaching the top came as the season’s toll climbed to five with the death of a Romanian climber during a bid to climb Lhotse, the fourth highest mountain, his expedition organiser confirmed.

“He was found dead in his tent on Camp Three on Monday morning by his guide,” said Mohan Lamsal of Makalu Adventure, naming the climber as Gabriel Viorel Tabara.

Everest and Lhotse share the same route until diverting at 7,200 metres.

“We are making efforts to bring his body down,” he said.