Nepalese mountaineer Kami Rita Sherpa, also known as “the man of Everest,” reached the summit of the world’s highest mountain for the 28th time on Tuesday, beating his own record, a day after his compatriot Pasang Dawa Sherpa equaled his previous record .
• Also read: Nepalese climber scales Everest for 27th time, equaling his compatriot’s record
“Kami Rita Sherpa climbed Everest for the second time (in a week) this morning. It’s his 28th time overall,” Thaneshwor Guragain of Seven Summit Treks, who organizes his expedition, told AFP.
The day before, 46-year-old Nepalese Pasang Dawa Sherpa had equaled the previous record set by Kami Rita Sherpa last week by summiting Everest (8849m) for the 27th time.
The two mountaineers have each climbed the “roof of the world” twice this season, captivating the mountaineering community.
Kami Rita Sherpa has been a mountain guide for more than 20 years and first scaled Everest in 1994 while working for a commercial expedition.
Since then, this seasoned climber has scaled Everest nearly every year, including leading the first rope team to open the access route to the summit.
Home to eight of the world’s ten highest peaks, including Everest, Nepal welcomes hundreds of climbers each season when temperatures are milder and winds are generally lighter.
For the 2023 climbing season, which ends in early June, Nepal has issued 478 Everest permits to foreign climbers.
According to the Ministry of Tourism on Tuesday, more than 500 climbers, including Nepalese guides, have already made the ascent.
Since most foreign climbers are usually accompanied by a guide, more than 900 people are expected to climb Everest during the season, a record.
But ten climbers, including four Nepalese, died during the season on the world’s highest mountain.
The mountaineering industry in the Himalayas relies on the experience of Sherpas, mostly from the valleys of Everest.
They pay a heavy price to accompany hundreds of climbers each year. A third of the dead on Everest are Nepalese climbers.