Kami Rita Sherpa scales Everest for record 32nd time
Nepali mountaineer extends his own world record after leading expedition to summit of world’s highest peak
Nepali climber Kami Rita Sherpa reached the summit of Mount Everest for a record 32nd time on Sunday, extending his own world record for the most ascents of the world’s highest mountain, said the Department of Tourism.
The 56-year-old mountaineer reached the 8,848.86 m summit at 10:12 am local time during the spring climbing season while leading an expedition operated by 14 Peaks Expedition, according to a statement issued by Nepal’s Department of Tourism.
“Kami Rita Sherpa successfully summited Mount Everest on 17 May 2026,” the department said, congratulating him on the “historic milestone” and praising his contribution to promoting Nepal’s mountaineering sector internationally.
Born in Thame village in Nepal’s Solukhumbu district, Kami Rita first climbed Everest in 1994 and has since become one of the Himalayas’ most celebrated guides.
Known in the climbing community as “Everest Man,” he has repeatedly broken his own record for the highest number of Everest summits, achieved over more than three decades working on commercial expeditions in the Himalayas.