Kami Rita Sherpa Breaks His Own Record with 31st Summit of Mount Everest

In an extraordinary achievement, Nepali Sherpa Kami Rita, affectionately known as "Everest Man," has set a new world record by reaching the summit of Mount Everest for the 31st time. At the age of 55, he accomplished this feat early Tuesday morning, guiding a group of Indian army officials to the peak, which stands at an impressive 8,849 meters.

Kami Rita first reached the summit in 1994 while leading a commercial expedition and has returned almost annually since then. Notably, he has achieved two summits in a single year on multiple occasions, including last year. His record has now surpassed that of fellow Sherpa Pasang Dawa, who has completed 29 summits. Despite his remarkable achievements, Kami Rita emphasizes that climbing is part of his work and expresses concern for Nepal's international recognition through his endeavors.

In a recent social media post, he shared glimpses of life on Everest, including a Puja ceremony—an important Tibetan Buddhist ritual performed prior to expeditions to ensure safety and success. His record-setting ascent comes just a week after British mountaineer Kenton Cool summited the mountain for the 19th time, also setting a record for non-Sherpas. This climbing season saw over 500 ascents, with Nepal issuing more than 1,000 climbing permits, raising concerns about overcrowding and environmental impacts. In response, new regulations mandate climbers to bring their waste back to base camp for proper disposal.