Kami Rita Sherpa Everest 32nd summit May 17

Kami Rita Sherpa added another Everest record on May 17, reaching the summit of the world’s highest mountain for the 32nd time, according to Nepali and Indian media reports. The ascent extended a record he already held after decades of guiding climbers on the Nepal side of the peak. The same day, Lhakpa Sherpa reached the summit for the 11th time, setting the highest total for a woman on Everest. (english.nepalnews.com) Nepal’s spring climbing season has also drawn a record number of permit holders this year, adding to attention on the mountain. (thehimalayantimes.com) ### How many times has Kami Rita Sherpa climbed Everest? Kami Rita Sherpa reached the summit at 10:12 a.m. Nepal time on May 17, Nepal News reported, putting his total at 32 ascents. (thehimalayantimes.com) The 56-year-old climber is from Thame in Solukhumbu and has built his reputation over years of commercial expeditions on Everest. The Himalayan Times reported that Kami Rita and Lhakpa Sherpa made their record ascents on the same morning. Times of India also reported the 32nd summit on May 17 and said he had again broken his own mark. ### Why was May 17 notable beyond Kami Rita’s climb? (english.nepalnews.com) Lhakpa Sherpa reached the summit at 9:30 a.m. on May 17 and recorded her 11th Everest ascent, according to Nepal News. That extended the women’s Everest record and put two separate milestones on the same day. The Himalayan Times described the pair’s climbs as a same-day Everest milestone, while Times of India said Lhakpa had extended her own women’s record. (english.nepalnews.com) Both reports placed the two ascents on Sunday morning in Nepal. ### How crowded is Everest this season? Nepal had issued 492 permits for Everest by May 8, a record for the spring season, according to Department of Tourism figures reported by The Himalayan Times. (thehimalayantimes.com) The paper said the permits generated 1.07 billion Nepali rupees in royalties and covered the period from March 1 to May 8. The Kathmandu Post also reported 492 fee-paying climbers had received permission to climb Everest this spring, citing the Department of Tourism. (english.nepalnews.com) That report said the previous record was 478 permits in 2023. ### What was happening on the mountain before the summit push? (thehimalayantimes.com) Sherpa climbers reopened the route toward Everest’s upper camps in late April after a large serac had blocked movement through the Khumbu Icefall for about two weeks, Indian Express reported. The report said the annual summit season typically runs from April to May, when weather is considered most stable. (thehimalayantimes.com) The route reopening mattered because climbers had been waiting at base camp for the main May summit window. With the path re-secured, expeditions resumed their acclimatization cycles and summit attempts. (kathmandupost.com) ### Who else reached milestones this season? Pasang Dawa Sherpa reached his 30th Everest summit, The Himalayan Times reported, becoming only the second climber to hit that number after Kami Rita. That added another record line to a season already defined by high permit numbers and multiple repeat ascents by Nepali climbers. Bianca Adler, an 18-year-old from Australia, also summited Everest this week and was reported by Australian outlets as the youngest Australian to do so. (indianexpress.com) That climb came during the same spring season as the record permit tally on the Nepal side. ### What happens next in this Everest season? May remains the key summit month on Everest, and Nepal’s spring season typically runs through the end of the month. Authorities had already reported 492 permits by May 8, and climbers who completed acclimatization after the late-April route reopening were moving into their summit windows in mid-to-late May. (thehimalayantimes.com) Nepal’s Department of Tourism data and local reporting will provide the next official count of summits, incidents and final permit totals as the March-to-May climbing season closes. (thehimalayantimes.com 1) (thehimalayantimes.com 2)