Kami Rita sets new high, scales Everest for 28th time

Mumbai: The super strong and probably the fittest human being, famous Nepali mountaineer Kami Rita Sherpa has shattered his own record by climbing the mighty Mount Everest (8848.86 m) for 28th time.

Kami reached the top of the world on May 23 at 9.20am as a part of the Seven Summit Treks Everest Expedition.

This is Kami’s second climb of Mt Everest this season. Earlier, he scaled the highest peak on May 17.

His summit is closely followed by his fellow Sherpa guide Pasang Dawa who matched his record of 27 trips to Everest on May 22 (Monday morning). The race for the most ascents to Everest began with Pasang scaling the mountain for the 26th time on May 14, equalling Kami’s previous record.

Airlifted after showing symptoms of snow blindness

Last year, Kami was airlifted from Camp 2 after showing symptoms of snow blindness during the descent.

Kami Rita Sherpa is a native of Thame village in Nepal’s Solukhumbu. He works at Seven Summit Treks as a senior guide. He has been climbing the highest peak and has become synonymous with the Everest.

Born on January 2, 1970, he has been passionate about climbing since his youth. He has been into mountaineering and climbing peaks for at least two decades.

Kami's odyssey into mountains began in 1992

Kami’s odyssey into mountains began in 1992 when he worked as a support staff of an Everest expedition. He climbed the Everest for the first time on May 13, 1994. Thereon, he never looked back and fearlessly guided ambitious mountaineers to the top.

From 1994 to 2023, Kami has summitted the Everest 28 times. He has also to his credit ascents such as K2 and Lhotse once, Manaslu three times and Cho Oyu eight times. Moreover, he is the first person who has done 'Most Climbs to 8,000ers.

In another development, an American mute couple scaled Mt. Lhotse (8516m) on May 23. Earlier, Scott Lehmann and Shayna Unger tamed the Everest on May 22, Seven Summit Treks chairman Mingma Sherpa said.

Season’s toll 11 so far; 2 missing

A support staff of the Mt Everest expedition died at Camp II on May 21, taking the season's death toll to 11 in this spring season. Two mountaineers are still missing.

Camp II kitchen staff Ang Kami Sherpa died on Sunday night after a fatal fall at the helipad while collecting logistic, Peak Promotion Pvt Ltd informed.

Malaysian Hawari Bin Hashim, 33, a deaf and mute mountaineer, has been missing since May 18 from Camp IV after returning from the summit point while Indian Singaporean mountaineer Shrinivas Sainis Dattatraya remained untraceable from 8,500m on Everest and it is reported he fell towards Tibet.

Earlier, Australian climber Jason Bernard Kennison, 40, died while descending on May 19. Malaysian police Ag Askandar Bin Ampuan Yaacub lost his life above South Col during his ascent on the day.

Fifty-two-year-old Xuebin Chen, died near Everest’s south summit during his summit push on May 18.