Everest feat: Kami Rita climbs the summit for the 32nd time

The Nepalese mountaineer We are Rita Sherpasnicknamed “the man from Everest”, reached the summit of Everest for the 32nd time today, setting a new record. Lhakpa Sherpa instead he broke his own record by reaching the summit for the 11th time. “This is another historic milestone in the history of mountaineering in Nepal,” said Himal Gautam, spokesperson for Nepal’s Ministry of Tourism.

Kami Rita Sherpa, 56, first reached the summit of Everest, which stands at 8,849 metres, in 1994 while working for a commercial expedition. Since then, he has climbed Everest almost every year, accompanying clients. Lhakpa Sherpa, 52, nicknamed the “Queen of the Mountain”, reached the summit of Everest for the first time in 2000, becoming the first Nepali woman to successfully climb and descend the world’s highest peak.

The boom in commercial mountaineering and the risks of overcrowding

“Their records are an encouragement to other climbers,” he added Himal Gautam. According to him, “breaking records through healthy competition on Everest will help make mountaineering safer, more dignified and better managed.” The rise in popularity of mountaineering has turned the sport into a profitable business since the first ascent of Everest in 1953 by Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay Sherpa.

Nepal released a record number of 492 permits to climb Everest this season. At the foot of the mountain a real city of tents has been set up for climbers and support staff. As most climbers attempt the climb with the assistance of at least one Nepalese guide, around a thousand climbers are expected to be on the slopes of Everest heading towards the summit in the coming days. This high number of climbers raises concerns about the overcrowding on the mountainespecially when adverse weather conditions shorten the mountaineering season.