Kami Rita Sherpa summits Everest for a record 32nd time
The Everest record-holder extends his own mark, while Lhakpa Sherpa sets a women's record with an 11th ascent.
Key facts
- Kami Rita Sherpa summited Everest for a record 32nd time on 17 May 2026.
- He first stood on top in 1994; he is now 56.
- His nearest rival, Pasang Dawa Sherpa, has 31 — together, 63 ascents.
Nepal’s “Everest Man” has done it again. On 17 May 2026, veteran guide Kami Rita Sherpa reached the summit of Mount Everest for a record-extending 32nd time, breaking the record he himself set a year earlier. He topped out while leading a rope-fixing team on the south-side route — the unglamorous, essential work that opens the mountain for everyone else each spring.
The race at the top
Kami Rita’s record is being chased by another Khumbu guide, Pasang Dawa Sherpa, who logged his 31st ascent the same season. Behind them, the legends of the previous generation — Apa Sherpa and Phurba Tashi Sherpa — sit on 21 apiece.
| Climber | Summits |
|---|---|
| Kami Rita Sherpa | 32 |
| Pasang Dawa Sherpa | 31 |
| Apa Sherpa | 21 |
| Phurba Tashi Sherpa | 21 |
Every name on that list is Sherpa — a reminder that the world’s highest mountain is climbed, fixed and guided by the people of the Khumbu.
What this means for trekkers
You won’t be summiting, but on the Everest Base Camp trek you walk through the home valleys of these climbers — Thame, Khumjung, Namche — and you hire the same community of guides and porters. Choosing a fairly-paid local crew is how trekkers put money back into the villages that make Everest possible.
Our take
The Khumbu’s real wonder is its people. When you book, ask who guides you and how they’re paid — our Everest treks run with insured, well-equipped Sherpa guides from the region itself.
Read more in our Everest region guide.
Source: The Kathmandu Post
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