Most people can only dream of summiting Mount Everest once, but Kami Rita, one of the world’s most skilled climbing guides for the highest mountain, has achieved this feat an astonishing 29 times.
According to Mingma Sherpa from Seven Summits Treks, Rita reached the 8,849-meter (29,032-foot) peak of ‘Sagarmatha’ (as Mount Everest is known in Nepal) early on Sunday, as reported by the media. Following the climb, Rita was said to be in good health and had begun his descent to the mountain’s lower camps.
Rita broke his record for the most climbs, a record he had set last year. In 2018, he achieved the record-breaking climb twice, first setting the new record and then breaking it again on his second expedition a week later. He had been in competition with fellow Sherpa guide Pasang Dawa for the record of most climbs of the 29,032-foot peak. Dawa has achieved this feat 27 times, two less than Rita.
Rita’s family has a deep connection to Mount Everest, with his father also being a Sherpa guide on the mountain
Just a week before his latest summit, Rita shared on Instagram from the base camp, “Back again for the 29th summit to the top of the world…One man’s job, another man/woman’s dream.” His most recent Instagram update confirms his safe return to base camp. Kami Rita is highly regarded as one of Mount Everest’s most skilled climbing guides and is a crucial figure for foreign climbers seeking to conquer the mountain.
His first ascent of Everest was in 1994, and since then, he has climbed to the summit almost every year, earning him the moniker ‘Everest Man’. Rita’s family has a deep connection to Mount Everest, with his father also being a Sherpa guide on the mountain. Rita’s father was one of the first Sherpa guides. Mingma Sherpa noted that the weather on the world’s tallest peak was favorable for climbing. This year, Nepalese authorities have granted climbing permits to hundreds of individuals to ascend the mountain. Last year, which was recorded as the deadliest season on the mountain with 18 fatalities, saw 600 climbers reaching the Everest summit.