Nepali Sherpa climber breaks world record with 31st Everest summit

ISTANBUL

55-year-old Kami Rita Sherpa extends own record for most ascents of the world’s highest peak.

Nepali mountaineer Kami Rita Sherpa reached the summit of Mount Everest for a record-breaking 31st time early Tuesday, extending his own world record for the most successful ascents of the world’s tallest mountain.

According to the Kathmandu Post, the 55-year-old climber stood atop the 8,848-meter (29,029-foot) peak around 4 am local time (2215GMT Monday), while leading the Indian Army Adventure Wing Everest Expedition.

Mingma Sherpa, from the organizing company Seven Summit Treks, confirmed the achievement and described Kami Rita as the undisputed record-holder.

“This new feat cements his status as the record holder for the highest number of ascents to the top of the world — a record that no one else has come close to,” he said. “Kami Rita is safe and stable after his summit. He has started his descent and is on his way back to base camp.”

Nicknamed the “Everest Man,” Kami Rita first summited the mountain in 1994 and scaled it twice in 2023. His closest rival, fellow Nepali climber Pasang Dawa Sherpa, has made 29 ascents.

Nepal is home to eight of the world’s 10 highest peaks, and mountain climbing is a major tourism activity and a source of income as well as employment for the tiny Himalayan nation.​​​​​​​