Two veteran Nepali climbers have each extended their own Everest records this season. Kami Rita Sherpa, 56 and widely known as the “Everest Man,” reached the summit for a record 32nd time. Lhakpa Sherpa, 52 and nicknamed the “Mountain Queen,” made her 11th successful climb of the 8,849-meter (29,032-foot) peak.
According to Mingma Sherpa, chairman of expedition operator Seven Summit Treks, Kami Rita topped out at about 10:12 a.m. local time (0427 GMT) leading an international expedition team. Lhakpa stood on the summit at about 9:30 a.m., part of an expedition organized by the Seven Summit Club, officials at the Department of Tourism’s Everest base camp said. Lhakpa first made headlines in 2000 as the first Nepali woman to both summit and descend Everest, and a film has been made about her achievements.
Both climbers are from the Sherpa community and began their Himalayan careers as porters before becoming professional guides. Kami Rita made his first Everest ascent in 1994 while working with a commercial expedition.
This season Nepal issued a record 492 climbing permits for Everest, and with most foreign climbers accompanied by at least one Nepali guide, thousands of people are expected on the mountain in the coming days. The surge in permits and the concentration of climbers on the southern (Nepal) route have revived concerns about overcrowding, especially if poor weather or route delays compress the short window considered safe for summit attempts. Expedition operators say restrictions on the Tibet side imposed by Chinese authorities have pushed more climbers to attempt the Nepali side, and unstable ice conditions and delayed route openings have further shortened climbing windows.
Despite the growing number of ascents since Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay’s first confirmed summit in 1953, Everest remains hazardous. More than 320 people have died attempting the mountain, and officials estimate that on average five to 10 climbers lose their lives on Everest each year.