Janice R. Andrews
Kami Rita Sherpa, a 54-year-old Nepali guide, has ascended Mount Everest for a record 30-times in an incredible display of endurance and skill. A Nepali tourist official named Khim Lal Gautam verified the historic ascent, saying that Kami Rita had arrived at the summit of the 8,849-meter (29,032-foot) peak on Wednesday by way of the conventional southeast ridge route.
This accomplishment, which came a few days after Kami Rita’s 29th ascent on May 12, further establishes him as one of the greatest mountaineers in history. Gautam said in a post on X that “he broke his own record… this marks his 30th ascent to the top of the world,” showcasing the Sherpa’s unmatched commitment to climbing.
But the worrying news of two climbers going missing while descending Everest overshadows the joy of this incredible achievement. There have been reports of a British climber and a Nepali guide slipping and falling in the dangerous “death zone,” which is known for having extremely low oxygen levels, close to the South Summit. On Tuesday, the tragedy happened as the climbers were heading back down after reaching the summit.
The latest ascent by Kami Rita and the whereabouts of the missing climbers are presently being investigated by Nepalese authorities. Rescue efforts are severely hampered by the mountain’s hazardous circumstances.
After climbing Everest for the first time in 1994, Kami Rita has done so almost every year since, with the exception of three years when the peak was closed for various reasons. The Sherpa climber who has reached the peak of Everest 27 times comes in second place with an unmatched record.
A significant source of income and jobs for Nepal’s tourism sector is still mountaineering. With eight of the world’s fourteen tallest peaks located there, the nation is a top choice for climbers from all over the world.
