Nepali guide Kami Rita Sherpa sets Everest record with 32nd summit

Kami Rita Sherpa, 56, reached the summit of Mount Everest for the 32nd time on Sunday, breaking his own world record for the most ascents of the world's tallest peak.

The Nepali guide, known as the "Everest Man," was leading clients up the 8,849m peak when he set the new mark. On the same day, Lakpa Sherpa, 52, known as the "Mountain Queen," also broke her own record for the most ascents by a female climber after reaching the summit for the 11th time.

This climbing season has been especially busy, with a record number of permits issued to Everest aspirants and delays in opening the route to the peak. Nepali Prime Minister Balendra Shah said the climbers had "once again written history."

"Such historic success can only be achieved through unwavering courage, rigorous self-discipline, and honest dedication to one's work," he wrote on X.

Kami Rita Sherpa first summited Everest in 1994 and has reached the peak almost every year since. Some years he has scaled it twice. According to his personal website, he was born in the Solukhumbu region of Nepal to a family of climbers. In 2018 he became the first person to climb Mount Everest 22 times, breaking the 21-time record he previously held with two other Nepali Sherpa mountaineers, who then retired.

Lakpa Sherpa first summited Everest in 2000, becoming the first Nepali woman to successfully reach the peak and descend the mountain. She is also the subject of a 2023 documentary, titled Mountain Queen, about her multiple Everest summit climbs and life as a single mother.

Almost 500 foreign climbers have been granted permits to scale Mount Everest this year. Most attempt the ascent with at least one Nepali guide, who do not require permits.