Nepal’s legendary mountaineer Kami Rita Sherpa has once again extended his own record by summiting Mount Everest for the 31st time, reinforcing his title as the “Everest Man”.
The 55-year-old reached the 8,849-metre (29,032-foot) peak early on Tuesday morning while guiding a group of Indian Army climbers, according to Kathmandu-based expedition organiser Seven Summit Treks.
“Kami Rita Sherpa needs no introduction. He is not just a national climbing hero, but a global symbol of Everest itself,” Seven Summit Treks said in a statement.
Mr Rita Sherpa, who first climbed Everest in 1994, has made the ascent nearly every year since – sometimes twice in a single season, as he did in 2023 and 2024.
His closest rival, fellow Sherpa Pasang Dawa, trails close behind on 29 ascents.
Before heading to the mountain, Mr Rita Sherpa had told the Associated Press he might try and climb the summit twice this year, and that he had attempted to climb to the summit a few days earlier but was forced to turn back due to bad weather.
“I am mentally, emotionally and physically prepared to climb the mountain. I am in my top physical condition right now,” he said at the Kathmandu airport before leaving for the Everest summit. “My first priority is to get my client to the summit of the peak. Then I will decide on whether I will climb the peak more than one time during the season. It depends on the weather and conditions on the mountain,” he said.
The Everest Man did it again! 31st Ascent of Mt. Everest (Sagarmatha) 🏔️
— Seven Summit Treks 🇳🇵 (@sst8848) May 27, 2025
Massive congratulations to the legendary Kami Rita Sherpa on his 31st successful ascent of Everest — the highest number of ascents by anyone in history - with @sevensummittreks
Kami Rita reached the… pic.twitter.com/vPdFh28Bzu
Hundreds of mountaineers have made attempts to climb Mount Everest from the Nepali, southern side of the peak this season, which ends this weekend. Most climbs of Everest and nearby Himalayan peaks are completed in April and May, when weather conditions are most favourable.
Mr Rita Sherpa is one of many Sherpa guides whose expertise and skills are vital to the safety and success of foreign climbers aspiring to stand on top of the 8,849-metre mountain each year.
His father was among the first Sherpa mountain guides, enjoying a long career that came to an end after he endured a serious bout of frostbite.
In addition to Everest, Kami Rita has climbed other peaks that are among the world’s highest, including K2, Cho Oyu, Manaslu and Lhotse. In an earlier interview with The Kathmandu Post, the famed Sherpa said: “My inspiration has always been my father. He is the one who drives me forward and always pushes me to do great things. As he never climbed Everest, I wanted to do it for him.”
He added: “My father was not educated, and I didn’t attend school due to our weak financial position. So I became a climbing guide.”
In a 2019 interview with the BBC, Mr Rita Sherpa had said: “I can climb for a few more years. I am healthy. I can go until I am 60 years old. With oxygen it’s no big deal, we were born in the Himalayas.”
Legendary mountaineer Kami Rita Sherpa has reached the summit of Mount Everest for a record-breaking 31st time, further extending his own world record for the most ascents of the world’s highest peak.https://t.co/iU4HSqgB7P pic.twitter.com/pz5wjRSbio
— Everest Chronicle (@EverestChron) May 27, 2025
Everest was first climbed in 1953 by New Zealander Edmund Hillary and Nepali Sherpa Tenzing Norgay.
This Everest climbing season, over 500 people and their guides successfully reached the summit. Nepal issued more than 1,000 permits for various peaks, according to the tourism department. But the growing number of climbers has raised concerns about overcrowding and environmental damage. In response, authorities recently enforced a rule requiring climbers to carry their own waste back to base camp.
In an earlier interview, Mr Rita Sherpa said the bigger concern wasn’t just the numbers, it was who those permits are going to. He believes an influx of inexperienced and underprepared climbers, often lured by tour companies that downplay the risks, is making the mountain more dangerous.
He told the BBC: “Overcrowding is nothing new. This is not the reason people are dying. It’s pressure on young climbers by some companies describing Everest as easy. Everest is never easy.”
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