A Sherpa Scales Mount Everest for Record 22 Times

Nepal’s veteran Sherpa, Kami Rita Sherpa has scaled Mount Everest for 22 times on last Wednesday, setting the record of most climbs of the world’s highest mountain.

 

Kami Rita reached the Mount Everest in the early hours of Wednesday with a team of foreign climbers and safely returned to lower base camp. He has reached the 8,850 meter (29,035ft) summit using the Southeast Ridge route. He was accompanied by 13 other climbers including his clients in the expedition.

 

“He has set the world record”, said Mingma Sherpa, who is the chairman of the Seven Summit Treks. The company for which Kami works.

 

Last month before he left for the summit, Kami Rita informed the media, that he wanted to scale Mount Everest for at least 25 times.

 

Kami Rita belongs to the family of Sherpa, and mountaineering comes naturally as the family tradition. His father was among the first professional guides when Nepal opened its door for foreign trekkers and mountain in 1950. His brother has also scaled Mount Everest for 17 times and most of his relatives have reached the top of the Everest at least once.

 

 

Kami Rita’s journey as Sherpa first began at the age of 24 years when for the first time he scaled Mount Everest, since then he has been scaling Mount Everest every year.

 

Apart from Mount Everest he has also scaled some high peaks such as K2, Manaslu, Lhotse, and Cho-Oyu. During the off-season, he guides clients in scaling other smaller peaks of Nepal.

Kami Rita has broken the record of two other Sherpa’s. The previous record holders, 58 years old Apa and 47 years old Phurba has retired from climbing. Apa who retired in 2011, has moved and settled in Utah. Phurba Tashi has retired from climbing in 2013 but still works at the Basecamp and helps others in organizing expeditions.

 

Rajeev Shrestha of the Seven Summit Adventure agency in Kathmandu said a total of 94 climbers reached the summit on Wednesday because of good weather conditions.

 

World’s most successful female climber, 44-year-old Lakpa Sherpa also made her ninth climb to the top of Mount Everest on Wednesday, breaking her own record. 

 

Sir Edmund Hillary of New Zealand and Sherpa Tenzing Norgay pioneered the route taken to the top of Mount Everest, when they became the world’s first climbers to reach the top of the world in 1953.

The climbing season for the summit starts from March and hundreds of climbers attempt to scale the world’s highest mountain Mount Everest, trying to reach the top from either Nepal or Tibetan side of the mountain.

Indigenous Sherpas, who are known for their endurance and experience at high altitudes, serve as professional guides for the foreign mountaineers who attempt to climb the highest Himalayan peaks.