Nepal’s ‘Everest Man’ Kami Rita Sherpa Sets New World Record with 31st Summit
Legendary mountaineer Kami Rita Sherpa has once again etched his name into history by reaching the summit of Mount Everest for the 31st time, further extending his own world record and reaffirming his status as the most accomplished climber in the history of the world’s tallest peak.
The 55-year-old Nepali climber reached the 8,848.86-metre (29,031.7 feet) summit early Tuesday morning at 4:00 a.m. local time (23:15 GMT Monday). He was leading a team of Indian Army officials as part of a guided expedition organized by Seven Summit Treks, one of Nepal’s largest mountaineering firms.
“Kami Rita Sherpa is more than just a climber — he is the living embodiment of Everest,” said the company in a statement. “His legacy inspires a generation of mountaineers across the world.”
Kami Rita first climbed Everest in 1994 and has summited nearly every year since, often multiple times per season. In both 2023 and 2024, he successfully completed two ascents per year, showcasing extraordinary endurance and unmatched experience.
His closest competitor, fellow Nepali climber Pasang Dawa Sherpa, has reached the summit 29 times, most recently just days before Kami Rita’s latest feat.
Despite international acclaim, Kami Rita remains deeply grounded. Speaking to AFP after his 28th summit last year, he said:
“Records are meant to be broken. What matters more to me is that each climb brings attention to Nepal and helps support our tourism and mountaineering industry.”
A devout Buddhist, he begins each expedition with a Puja ceremony, a spiritual ritual to seek blessings from the mountain gods — a tradition he shares with thousands of Sherpas whose lives revolve around Everest.
Kami Rita has also used his growing platform to spotlight issues facing Nepali climbers and guides, from low pay and safety risks to a lack of recognition in global media.
His latest ascent comes during a busy spring climbing season. As of this week, over 500 climbers and guides have reached Everest’s summit, despite challenging conditions and increasingly crowded routes.
Nepal’s Department of Tourism issued more than 1,000 permits this season for Everest and other Himalayan peaks. While the mountaineering boom has boosted the local economy, it has also sparked concern about overcrowding, waste management, and environmental degradation on the fragile mountain.
In response, authorities recently mandated that climbers must collect and return their human waste to base camp, part of a broader effort to address the growing ecological footprint of high-altitude tourism.
Just a week before Kami Rita’s 31st summit, British mountaineer Kenton Cool reached Everest’s peak for the 19th time, setting a record for non-Sherpa climbers.
But for the Sherpa community and mountaineering enthusiasts worldwide, Kami Rita Sherpa remains in a league of his own, a humble yet unrelenting symbol of courage, perseverance, and devotion to the Himalayas.
