Kami Rita Sherpa Sets Record with 30th Everest Ascent

In an extraordinary achievement, Nepali climbing guide Kami Rita Sherpa reached the summit of Mount Everest for the 30th time on Wednesday morning, once again breaking his own record for the most successful ascents of the world’s highest peak.

Kami Rita stood atop Everest at 7:49 am, as confirmed by Khim Lal Gautam, the Everest base camp coordinator. This ascent marks his second of the current season, with his first successful summit occurring on May 12.

Kami Rita’s mountaineering career began in 1992 when he joined an expedition to Everest as a porter. He made his first ascent on May 13, 1994, at the age of 24. Since then, he has consistently climbed Everest almost every year, demonstrating unparalleled dedication and skill. Notably, he has summited Everest twice in the years 2009, 2010, 2013, 2019, 2023, and now in 2024.

His closest rival in the number of Everest ascents is Pasang Dawa Sherpa, who has reached the summit 27 times as of last year.

In 2024, the Nepal Department of Tourism issued Everest climbing permits to 419 fee-paying individuals, slightly fewer than last year’s record of 479 permits. Each climber typically hires at least one Sherpa guide, bringing the total number of climbers attempting Everest to nearly 1,000 this season.

Since the beginning of the spring climbing season on May 10, over 500 climbers, including their guides, have successfully reached Everest’s summit. A climbing permit for Everest costs $11,000 for foreign climbers, while Nepali climbers pay Rs75,000. However, Nepali high-altitude Sherpa guides assisting climbers are exempt from these fees.

Since Tenzing Norgay Sherpa and Edmund Hillary first summited Everest in 1953, more than 8,800 mountaineers have reached the peak from the Nepal side. Kami Rita Sherpa’sKa remarkable record is a testament to the enduring human spirit and the critical role of Sherpa guides in the history of Everest expeditions.