Nepali Sherpa Kami Rita breaks record with 31st Mt. Everest climb
Kami Rita Sherpa, 53, a Nepali mountaineer, waves towards the media personnel upon his arrival after climbing Mount Everest for the 28th time, creating a new record for the most summits of the world’s highest mountain, in Kathmandu, Nepal May 25, 2023. PHOTO:REUTERS
Nepali Sherpa guide Kami Rita scaled Mount Everest for the 31st time on Tuesday, breaking the record he set last year.
The 55-year-old reached the 8,849-metre (29,032 foot) peak - the highest in the world - by the traditional southeast ridge route, officials said, adding that 27 other Sherpas also accompanied the group.
Kami Rita, who uses only his first name, first climbed Everest in 1994 and has done so every year except for three years when authorities closed the mountain to climbers for various reasons.
JUST IN: Renowned Nepali mountaineer Kami Rita Sherpa has successfully scaled Mt #Everest (8848.86 m) for a record 31st time this morning 27.05.2025, 04:00 NPT. CONGRATULATIONS!
— Everest Today (@EverestToday) May 27, 2025
Photo Courtesy: Seven Summit Treks. pic.twitter.com/SpmfrDQT2q
More than 8,000 people have climbed Mount Everest since it was first scaled by New Zealander Sir Edmund Hillary and Sherpa Tenzing Norgay in 1953.
After Kami Rita, another Sherpa, Pasang Dawa, has ascended Everest the most with 29 climbs.
Among non-Sherpa climbers, the record is held by British guide Kenton Cool who has accomplished the feat 19 times, followed by American climbers Dave Hahn and Garrett Madison with 15 times each.
One of the poorest countries in the world, Nepal is home to eight of the world's 14 highest peaks and is heavily reliant on climbing, trekking, and tourism for foreign exchange.
Guiding foreign climbers to Everest and other peaks provides crucial family income to many Sherpas.
Authorities have issued 468 permits to climbers for Everest this March-May climbing season, and more than 300 climbers and Sherpas have already scaled the peak, officials said.
The Everest Man did it again! 31st Ascent of Mt. Everest (Sagarmatha) 🏔️
— Seven Summit Treks 🇳🇵 (@sst8848) May 27, 2025
Massive congratulations to the legendary Kami Rita Sherpa on his 31st successful ascent of Everest — the highest number of ascents by anyone in history - with @sevensummittreks
Kami Rita reached the… pic.twitter.com/vPdFh28Bzu
Two climbers are known to have died on the mountain this month and there have also been unconfirmed reports of other deaths.