'Everest Man' Earns His Nickname Once Again

A veteran mountain guide just pushed the limits of Everest yet again. Kami Rita Sherpa, 56, has now stood on the world's highest peak 32 times, extending his own record with a successful ascent on Sunday, Nepal's Department of Tourism said, per Reuters. Guiding clients for the 14 Peaks Expedition company, the so-called "Everest Man" reached the 29,032-foot summit at 10:12am local time. Born in the same Himalayan village as Tenzing Norgay, Kami Rita first climbed Everest in 1994 and has returned nearly every year since, sometimes twice in a season.

The department also noted that 52-year-old Lakhpa Sherpa, known as "Mountain Queen," completed her 11th ascent, the most by any woman. Nepali Prime Minister Balendra Shah celebrated both climbers, pointing out the "unwavering courage" and "rigorous self-discipline" required for "such historic success," per the BBC. More than 8,000 people have summited Everest since Norgay and Sir Edmund Hillary's first confirmed ascent in 1953, but Sherpa guides dominate the record books; the leading non-Sherpa, British guide Kenton Cool, has 19 climbs, and is now pushing for 20. Nepal has issued 492 permits for this spring's season, even as three Nepali climbers have died on the mountain this month, underscoring the risks behind a livelihood that sustains many Sherpa families.