Kami Rita Sherpa summits Everest 32nd time

Kami Rita Sherpa reached the summit of Mount Everest for the 32nd time on Sunday, extending his own record for the most ascents of the world's highest mountain, according to Nepal's Department of Tourism. The department said the Nepali climber stood on the 8,848.86-metre summit at 10:12 a.m. (tourismdepartment.gov.np) Nepal Standard Time on May 17. Reuters reported the climb as a new record, one year after Kami Rita had pushed his total to 31. Lhakpa Sherpa also reached the summit on Sunday, setting a separate record with her 11th Everest ascent, according to Al Jazeera and Nepal-based reports. The two climbs came during Nepal's spring Everest season, when commercial expeditions and their Sherpa guides make summit bids during a narrow weather window. (kathmandupost.com) ### When exactly did Kami Rita Sherpa reach the top? Nepal's Department of Tourism said Kami Rita Sherpa summited at 10:12 a.m. local time on Sunday, May 17. The department identified the peak as Mount Everest at 8,848.86 metres and issued a press release congratulating him on the milestone. (tourismdepartment.gov.np) Reuters, citing an official, reported that the ascent broke the climber's own record set last year. Nepal-based outlet The Kathmandu Post separately reported that the expedition organizer Seven Summit Treks said Kami Rita and his team were already descending toward base camp after the summit. (aljazeera.com) ### How far ahead is he of every other Everest climber? Kami Rita Sherpa's 32 ascents place him ahead of other repeat Everest summiteers, with his total extending the mark he had already set as the mountain's most frequent climber. Reuters described him as a renowned Nepali Sherpa guide who had broken his own record again on Sunday. (tourismdepartment.gov.np) Al Jazeera reported that Kami Rita was one of two Nepali Sherpa climbers to break their own Everest records on the same day. That report said Lhakpa Sherpa, known for holding the women's record, reached her 11th summit on Sunday. (usnews.com) ### Who is Lhakpa Sherpa, and what happened on the same day? Lhakpa Sherpa reached the summit at about 9:30 a.m. on Sunday, according to Nepal-based reports cited by The Kathmandu Post and Nepal News. Those reports said the Nepali climber raised her total to 11 successful Everest ascents, extending the women's record. (usnews.com) Al Jazeera reported the two record climbs together and said the heavy flow of climbers and Sherpa guides expected in the following days had renewed concerns about overcrowding if weather conditions shorten the summit window. That characterization was attributed in the report to the expected traffic on the mountain during the current season. (aljazeera.com) ### Why do so many record climbs happen in May? May is the main Everest summit period because expedition teams wait for a short stretch of more stable weather between winter winds and the summer monsoon. Reuters' report placed Kami Rita's climb within the current spring season, when Nepal issues permits for guided expeditions on the south side of Everest. (kathmandupost.com) The mountain's summit pushes are typically concentrated into a limited number of days, which is why multiple teams can be on the route at once. Al Jazeera said more climbers and Sherpa guides were expected to head for the summit in the next few days. (aljazeera.com) ### What happens next after a summit like this? Seven Summit Treks said Kami Rita Sherpa and his team were descending toward base camp after the successful ascent. The Kathmandu Post reported that preparations were being made in Kathmandu for his welcome after the climb. In the coming days, other teams are expected to continue summit attempts from the Nepali side of Everest as the spring climbing window remains open. (usnews.com) Lhakpa Sherpa's 11th summit and Kami Rita Sherpa's 32nd ascent are likely to remain focal points of this season's official updates from Nepal's tourism authorities and expedition operators. (kathmandupost.com) (aljazeera.com)