Nepal’s mountaineer Kami Rita Sherpa climbs Mt Everest for 32nd time, beats own record

Nepal’s mountaineer Kami Rita Sherpa made history on Sunday by breaking his own world record for the maximum number of ascents of Mt Everest as he scaled the world’s highest peak for the 32nd time.The 56-year-old veteran climber, popularly known as ‘Everest Man’, reached the 8,848.86-metre peak (29,032 feet) at 10:12 am, according to the Department of Tourism here.

He was leading an expedition operated by 14 Peaks Expedition, it said.
The successful ascent was confirmed by the department’s field office stationed at Everest Base Camp, reported The Kathmandu Post.Born in Thame village of Solukhumbu district in Koshi Province in January 1970, Kami Rita started his career as a professional mountaineer in 1992 and climbed Mt Everest for the first time in 1994.

The Department of Tourism congratulated Sherpa, saying his achievement reflects a significant contribution to Nepal’s mountaineering sector and its international profile.

Kami Rita had climbed Sagarmatha, as the peak is known in Nepali, twice each in 2023 and 2024. He scaled it for the 31st time on May 27, 2025, Between 1994 and 2025, Kami Rita also scaled K2 and Mt Lhotse once, Manaslu thrice, and Cho Oyu eight times, all above 8,000 metres.

In a related development, Lhakpa Sherpa, also known as the ‘Mountain Queen’ and the first Nepali woman to summit Mt Everest, broke her own world record by completing her 11th successful ascent of the peak on Sunday.

She reached the peak at 9:30 am, the Department of Tourism said.