Nepali Climbers Redefine Everest Records

Photo: Instagram

India-West News Desk

NEW DELHI – In a week marked by staggering feats at the roof of the world, two Nepali climbers have rewritten Everest’s record books—each in his own historic way.

On May 27, veteran mountaineer Kami Rita Sherpa stood atop Mount Everest for an unprecedented 31st time, further cementing his status as the most accomplished Everest climber in history. His latest ascent, completed as the leader of an Indian Army team, was more than a personal milestone.

Meanwhile, in what many are calling a superhuman feat, Tashi Gyalzen Sherpa, a 29-year-old climber from Phortse, reached the summit four times in just fifteen days—a world record in endurance, logistics, and grit. He completed his final ascent on May 23, returning to a hero’s welcome in Kathmandu.

Tashi was born in the Khumbu village of Phortse, where mountaineering is as much inheritance as occupation. Raised among climbers and trekkers, he began working as a trekking guide in 2017, summiting Everest for the first time two years later.

Since then, he has reached the summit four times from Nepal’s side and once from Tibet. But this spring, he shattered what many believed were the physical and logistical limits of high-altitude mountaineering.

His first summit of the season was on May 9, as part of the rope-fixing team. He climbed again on May 14, May 19, and finally on May 23.

“This is a world record and a new limit of human endurance,” said Pemba Sherpa, executive director of 8K Expeditions, which managed Tashi’s climbs. “He planned to do it in 20 days, but finished in 15. It’s simply unbelievable.”

Fellow mountaineers echoed that sentiment. “You haven’t just climbed mountains—you’ve moved them,” wrote Chepal Sherpa, a colleague, in a Facebook tribute. “Your spirit has inspired millions.”

This season more than 500 climbers and guides have summited Everest. Nepal’s Department of Tourism confirmed 468 Everest permits were issued this season, earning the country more than $5 million in royalties.

Notably, the season has seen a relatively low fatality rate, with only two deaths reported—one Indian and one Filipino climber. (with ANI inputs)