New Delhi: Kami Rita Sherpa, the greatest high-altitude climber of all time, has once again etched his name into history. At 56 years of age, when most people begin slowing down, here is a man who has not just conquered Everest, but he has done it for a record 32nd time. The legendary Nepali mountaineer has extended his own record for most Everest climbs. He reached the top in the early hours on May 17.
Kami Rita Sherpa was born in the remote village of Thame in Nepal’s Solukhumbu region. He was raised in the shadow of the Himalayas. Born into a family of mountaineers, it was not merely a profession for him and his community; it was a way of life. Following in the footsteps of his father, who also worked as a climbing guide, he developed extraordinary endurance and resilience from an early age. Kami Rita Sherpa too conquered Everest for the 32nd time while he was guiding his clients.
Kami Rita held the record for most Everest summits for the first time in 2018. That was when he summited Everest for the 22nd time. Since then, he has kept extending his own record almost every year, and this year marks his 32nd summit. Mountaineers have held records for most summits prior to him, but after 2018 nobody could surpass him.
Kami Rita first reached the summit of Everest in 1994. Since then, he has kept guiding climbers through some of the harshest and most dangerous conditions on Earth. Over the decades, he kept returning to the world’s highest peak almost every year, and sometimes even twice a year. For most who love mountains, it is a dream to climb Everest at least once in their lifetime, but for Kami Rita Sherpa touching the top appears to be a routine.
Each Everest expedition demands immense physical strength, mental toughness, and the ability to survive extreme weather, avalanches, thin oxygen levels, and unpredictable terrain. Reaching the summit even once is extraordinary, and doing it 32 times makes Kami Rita a legend.
Sherpas of Nepal play a crucial role in Everest expeditions. For decades, they have been the backbone of Everest missions, carrying equipment, fixing ropes, guiding climbers, and risking their lives to make ascents possible for others.
According to his website, Kami Rita Sherpa has a total of 42 summits over 8,000 metres. He holds 16 world records in his 30-plus years of active climbing…