Nepal’s famed mountaineering guide Kami Rita scaled Mount Everest for the 31st time on Tuesday, further cementing his status as the world’s most accomplished Everest climber. The 55-year-old veteran reached the 8,849-meter summit at dawn while guiding a client team, according to Mingma Sherpa of Seven Summits Treks.
This latest ascent breaks Rita’s own previous world record of 30 summits set last year. Before departing for the expedition, he had told The Associated Press of his ambitions to potentially push for a 32nd climb this season. His attempt earlier this week was thwarted by adverse weather before Tuesday’s successful bid.
Born into mountaineering royalty – his father was among Nepal’s first generation of professional Sherpa guides – Rita first conquered Everest in 1994. Nearly three decades later, he continues demonstrating remarkable endurance, having summited the peak twice in 2023 alone.
The veteran climber’s expertise proves invaluable during Everest’s busy spring climbing season, when hundreds of foreign climbers rely on Sherpa guides’ technical skills and high-altitude experience. Beyond Everest, Rita has summited other Himalayan giants including K2, Cho Oyu, Manaslu and Lhotse.
His closest rival, fellow Sherpa Pasang Dawa, trails with 29 Everest summits. The record-setting feat comes as this year’s climbing season concludes, with most ascents occurring during the optimal weather window of April-May.
Everest’s climbing legacy began in 1953 when Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay first reached the summit. Seventy years later, Rita’s achievements continue redefining what’s possible in high-altitude mountaineering while maintaining the Sherpa community’s indispensable role in Himalayan climbing.
