Kathmandu, Nepal: Renowned Nepali mountaineer and veteran mountain guide Kami Rita Sherpa has shattered his own world record by successfully scaling Mount Everest for an unprecedented 32nd time. The 56-year-old legendary climber reached the summit of the world’s highest peak at 10:12 a.m. Nepal Standard Time on Sunday morning, anchoring his status as the individual with the highest number of successful ascents in mountaineering history.
According to an official press release issued by the Department of Tourism field office stationed at Everest Base Camp, the historic climb was completed during the ongoing Spring 2026 mountaineering season. Born on January 17, 1970, in the high-altitude village of Thame in the Solukhumbu District, Kami Rita began his illustrious mountaineering career in 1992 as an expedition support staff member, eventually achieving his maiden Everest summit in 1994. Over a career spanning more than three decades, his extensive achievements stretch well beyond Everest, having also successfully conquered several of the planet’s most formidable 8,000-metre peaks, including K2, Cho Oyu, Lhotse, and Manaslu. During this specific expedition, operated by 14 Peaks Expedition under official climbing permit number 70, the veteran guide safely spearheaded a team of international climbers to the top of the 8,848.86-metre mountain.
The record-breaking feat comes amidst a highly active climbing season, despite a broader regional economic crunch in East Asia that has significantly inflated global flight fares. Nepal’s Department of Tourism extended high praise and congratulations to Kami Rita for his monumental contributions to elevating the nation’s international mountaineering profile. Close to 7,000 mountaineers have successfully scaled Mount Everest from the Nepalese southern approach since trailblazers Tenzing Norgay Sherpa and Sir Edmund Hillary first stood on the peak in May 1953.
The baseline cost of executing these high-altitude expeditions has risen sharply following the implementation of strict new administrative guidelines by the Nepalese government. Under the Sixth Amendment of the national mountaineering regulations enacted on February 3, 2025, Nepal has officially banned all solo expeditions on peaks rising above 8,000 metres to prioritize climber safety. Furthermore, the updated regulations implemented a comprehensive structural hike in permit royalties for foreign climbers attempting the standard southern route. The standard spring permit fee increased from USD 11,000 to USD 15,000 per person, while autumn permits rose to USD 7,500, and off-peak winter and monsoon permits were adjusted to USD 3,750. Royalties for other 8,000-metre peaks have similarly faced steep hikes, while permit costs for native Nepalese climbers looking to scale Everest during the peak spring window doubled to 150,000 Nepalese Rupees.
