FILE- Nepalese veteran Sherpa guide, Kami Rita, 48, poses for a photograph at his rented apartment in Kathmandu, Nepal, March 26, 2018. Rita scaled Mount Everest Tuesday, May 23, 2023, for the 28th time beating his own record within a week as two guides compete with each other for the title of most climbs of the world's highest peak.
FILE - Nepalese veteran Sherpa guide Kami Rita waves as he arrives in Kathmandu, Nepal, May 20, 2018. Rita scaled Mount Everest Tuesday, May 23, 2023, for the 28th time beating his own record within a week as two guides compete with each other for the title of most climbs of the world's highest peak.
FILE- Nepalese veteran Sherpa guide, Kami Rita, 48, poses for a photograph at his rented apartment in Kathmandu, Nepal, March 26, 2018. Rita scaled Mount Everest Tuesday, May 23, 2023, for the 28th time beating his own record within a week as two guides compete with each other for the title of most climbs of the world's highest peak.
Niranjan Shrestha - stringer, AP
FILE - Nepalese veteran Sherpa guide Kami Rita waves as he arrives in Kathmandu, Nepal, May 20, 2018. Rita scaled Mount Everest Tuesday, May 23, 2023, for the 28th time beating his own record within a week as two guides compete with each other for the title of most climbs of the world's highest peak.
KATHMANDU, Nepal (AP) — Veteran Sherpa guide Kami Rita has scaled Mount Everest for the 28th time Tuesday, beating his own record less than a week after setting it, as two guides compete with each other for the title of most climbs of the world's highest peak.
Kami Rita, considered one of the greatest mountain guides, reached the 8,849-meter (29,032-foot) summit at 9:20 a.m. local time Tuesday, according to expedition organizer Seven Summits Treks.
The race for the title began with Pasang Dawa climbing the peak for the 26th time on May 14, equaling Kami Rita's previous record. Kami Rita went on to the peak three days later for the 27th time.
With a few more days left in the spring climbing season, both Sherpa guides were on the mountain helping their clients up the snowy peak. May is the busiest month to make the dangerous climb since it has the best weather conditions.
Kami Rita first summitted Everest in 1994 and has been making the trip nearly every year since. He is one of many Sherpa guides whose expertise and skills are vital to the safety and success each year of foreign climbers who seek to stand on top of the mountain.
His father was among the first Sherpa guides. In addition to his Everest climbs, Rita has scaled several other peaks that are among the world’s highest, including K2, Cho Oyu, Manaslu and Lhotse.
Hundreds of climbers have scaled Mount Everest, or plan to make their attempt, this month.
The Nepalese authorities have issued about 480 climbing permits to foreign climbers, which is the most issued for any year. At least as many local Sherpa guides would be accompanying them during the climbing season.
So far, 10 people have died during this year's spring climbing season on Everest.
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
You must be logged in to react. Click any reaction to login.
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd,
racist or sexually-oriented language. PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK. Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another
person will not be tolerated. Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone
or anything. Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism
that is degrading to another person. Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on
each comment to let us know of abusive posts. Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness
accounts, the history behind an article.
Post a comment as Anonymous Commenter
Report
Watch this discussion.
(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.