Kami Rita Sherpa Reaches the Summit of Everest 32 Times, His Record is Getting Harder to Chase

Kami Rita Sherpa, back to the top of Mount Everest for the 32nd time. (Instagram @kamiritasherpa)

JAKARTA - Nepalese climber Kami Rita Sherpa has reached the summit of Mount Everest for the 32nd time. This achievement extends his own world record as the person with the most climbs to the highest peak in the world.

Citing Anadolu Agency, Sunday, May 17, Nepali officials confirmed Kami Rita reached the summit of Everest on Sunday at 10.12 local time or 04.27 GMT. He led an international expedition team from 14 Peaks Expedition.

The 14 Peaks Expedition report to the Nepal Tourism Department field office at Everest Base Camp said the 56-year-old climber had reached the summit and was now descending with his team.

"We Dai are climbing again," said Khim Lal Gautam, field coordinator of the Everest Base Camp. "He is now descending to the base camp with his team."

The summit of Everest, with an official height of 8,848.86 meters, remains a harsh and dangerous mountain. Therefore, Kami Rita's 32nd ascent is not just a record of numbers. It also shows the long experience of a guide who has worked many times in extreme terrain.

Kami Rita was born in Thame Village, Solukhumbu District, on January 17, 1970. He followed in the footsteps of his father who used to work on Everest as a sirdar, a term for the head of a Sherpa guide in an expedition.

He first reached the summit of Everest in 1994, when he was 24 years old. Since then, he has almost every year returned to the mountain. His task is to guide climbers from various countries to be able to go up and down safely.

To Anadolu, before leaving for Everest Base Camp, Kami Rita said he returned to the mountain as part of his job. Not to chase world records or prestige.

"It's my job to get clients to the top. That's what I do," he said.

Kami Rita's record also highlights the important role of Sherpas in the Everest climbing industry. They work on opening routes, carrying loads, reading the weather, and maintaining team safety. Their names are not always the brightest on the stage, but their work often determines the life and death of an expedition.

The work is now getting heavier. Many Sherpas say the climbing industry lacks experienced guides. The risks are increasing because of rising temperatures, work that is not always certain, and weak social security.

Pas Dawa Sherpa had been chasing Kami Rita's record. However, he has not climbed in recent years. With this 32nd climb, Kami Rita's record distance is getting further away.

Kami Rita holds the world record for the most number of individual ascents to Everest since May 2018. This latest ascent follows his 31st success on May 27, 2025.

On the same day, a female Nepalese climber, Lhakpa Sherpa, also reached the summit of Everest for the 11th time. According to Gautam, Lhakpa stood on the summit at 09.30 local time.

More than 70 other climbers are also moving towards the summit and are targeting to arrive on the same day.