KATHMANDU: In a historic achievement, 55-year-old Nepali Sherpa Kami Rita has broken his own world record by summiting Mount Everest for the 31st time, reaffirming his status as the most experienced Everest climber in history.
Kami Rita, renowned as the “Everest Man,” reached the summit on Tuesday via the southeast ridge route while guiding a 22-member Indian army team, accompanied by 27 Sherpas.
The expedition organizer, Seven Summit Treks, lauded Kami Rita’s remarkable feat, stating, “Massive congratulations to the legendary Kami Rita Sherpa on his 31st successful ascent of Everest, the highest number of ascents by anyone in history.” The company also highlighted his global significance, calling him a “symbol of Everest itself.”
Before the summit, Mr Kami Rita had stated that he “has no plan of climbing Sagarmatha (Nepalese name for Mount Everest) for any specified number of times.”
As per the officials from the Department of Tourism, the record-setting climber reached the summit of Everest at 7:25 AM (NST) on Sunday while guiding an expedition organized by the ‘Seven Summit Treks’.
Kami Rita, the son of a Sherpa guide, first reached Everest’s summit in 1994 and has since summited nearly every year, excluding years when mountain authorities closed climbing seasons. As he descended to lower camps on Tuesday, his achievement continues to inspire climbers worldwide.
In addition to this historic ascent, Pakistani mountaineer Naila Kiani made headlines by summiting Mount Kanchenjunga (8,586 meters) in Nepal on Friday. She became the only Pakistani female mountaineer to have reached the summits of all 12 of the world’s highest peaks above 8,000 meters, marking a significant milestone in Pakistani mountaineering history.
