Climbers Break Their Own Records on Mount Everest: 'I Always Feel Humble in Front of the Mountain'

Kami Rita Sherpa and Lhakpa Sherpa both beat their own records of climbing Mount Everest, 32 and 11 times, respectively

NEED TO KNOW

• Kami Rita Sherpa and Lhakpa Sherpa both beat their own Mount Everest records on Sunday, May 17
• Kami Rita has now climbed Mount Everest 32 times, a record that took over three decades to achieve
• Lhakpa Sherpa, the first Nepali woman to summit Everest, set a new record with her 11th climb this season

Nepali Sherpa guides Kami Rita Sherpa and Lhakpa Sherpa have set new records for the most climbs to the world's highest peak.

Kami Rita, 56, reached the summit of Mount Everest for a record 32nd time at ​10:12 a.m., local time on Sunday, May 17, after guiding a group of climbers to the world's highest peak, the 29,032-foot summit, reports the BBC. Kami Rita, nicknamed the "Everest Man," broke his own record.

That same day, Lhakpa, 52, also known as the "Mountain Queen," broke her own record and became the first female climber to complete 11 climbs, according to the BBC.

Kami Rita's record-breaking climb comes 32 years after his first climb in 1994. He reached the summit at least once every year since, except for when the mountain was closed in 2014, 2015, and 2020, according to Reuters.

Lhakpa became the first Nepali woman to successfully summit and descend Everest in 2000. The single mother's several climbs and time as a Sherpa also served as the subject of the 2023 documentary, Mountain Queen.

Their accomplishments give "greater excitement to other climbers,” Himal Gautam, a spokesperson for Nepal's Tourism Department, told the AFP, according to the Associated Press and Reuters. “By breaking records through healthy competition on Everest will help make climbing safer, more dignified and better managed."

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"This season on Chomolungma [the Tibetan name for Mount Everest] tested all of us from the very beginning," Kami Rita wrote on Instagram. "The mountain was difficult, the weather uncertain, and the routes were still not fixed."

"There were many days filled with confusion, risk, and challenges high on the mountain. But in the Himalayas, difficult moments always remind us about the strength of teamwork, unity, and determination," he continued.

He celebrated the work of the "brave Sherpas and rope-fixing teams" who worked "tirelessly in dangerous conditions to open the route for everyone," he wrote, highlighting how their "hard work, sacrifice, and courage" allowed the guides, climbers, and clients to reach the summit.

Kami Rita also detailed the work of the "countless hardworking Nepali" workers who were "carrying loads, fixing ropes, preparing camps, and risking their lives to make the mountain safer for others."

"This achievement belongs to every Sherpa and every Nepali working in the mountains," he wrote. "This achievement is not mine alone."

"This belongs to Nepal," he stated, adding it's also for guides, porters, route fixers, cooks, climbers and "every Sherpa who works silently in the shadows of these giant mountains."

"No matter how many times I climb Everest, I always feel humble in front of the mountain. Every summit is a blessing," he wrote.

Kami Rita also brought the country's flag to the top of the peak, adding, "Sagarmatha is not only the highest mountain on Earth — she is the pride, identity, and spirit of our nation." He concluded the post thanking people around the globe for their support, prayers and "respect toward the mountains and the Sherpa community."

More than 8,000 people have climbed Mount Everest, beginning with Nepali Tenzing Norgay and New Zealander Sir Edmund Hillary in 1953.

In 2026, there have been 492 climbing ​permits authorized for this March-May climbing season. Since the season began, there have been five fatalities: Czech David Ronbinek, American ⁠Johannesen Shelley, and three Nepalis, Phura Gyaljen Sherpa, Bijay Ghimire ⁠Bishwakarma and Lakpa Dendi Sherpa, according to Reuters.

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