On Top Of The World: Nepali Sherpa Scales Mount Everest 26th Time, Breaks Own Record

52-year-old Kami Rita Sherpa broke his record by scaling the world's highest peak, Mount Everest, for the 26th time. The peak climbing season begins in May, and Rita and 11 other Sherpa guides made the expedition to fix ropes to guide fellow climbers. Rita and his 11 Sherpa guides scaled the 8,848.86-metre peak at 6.55 pm (local time), said Dawa Sherpa, manager of Seven Summit Treks Private Limited.

Scaled Mount Everest For The First Time In 1994

Rita scaled the world's highest peak for the first time on May 13, 1994. The Hindu reported that he also had scaled massive heights like Mt Godwin-Austen (K2), Mt Lhotse, Mt Manaslu, and Mt Cho Oyu. Moreover, he also holds the record for the maximum number of peaks over 8,000 metres. Kami Rita's wife, who gave him the title of Jangmu, said that she was over the moon with her husband's achievement. The climbing route that the Sherpa used was pioneered by New Zealander Sir Edmund Hillary and Nepal's Sherpa Tenzing Norgay in 1953 and remained the most popular.

Government Granted 316 Permits This Year

The Department of Tourism under the Nepal Government has given clearance to 316 individuals to climb the peak compared to 408 permits last year, which was the highest ever. Since Nepal is a Himalayan nation, it relies heavily on climbers for foreign exchange. However, it was criticised by the global community for allowing overcrowding and the deaths of mountaineers in 2019. Over 300 people have died scaling the peak so far.

Since 1953, when Mount Everest was climbed for the first time by Norgay and Hilary, the mountain has been scaled 10,657 times. Moreover, several people have also scaled the mountain several times. However, Kami Rita's expeditions to Mount Everest are record-breaking.

Also Read: Two Sides Of A Coin: All You Need To Know About Multi-Level Marketing In India