A British climber made headlines on Sunday by breaking his own record for most Mount Everest ascents by a non-Sherpa, marking his 19th summit of the renowned peak, as reported by hiking officials.
Kenton Cool, 51, reached the summit at an impressive height of 8,849 meters (29,032 feet) in the morning and later descended to a lower camp, according to Himalayan guide Rajan Battarai, who is with the Nepal Expedition.
Fellow mountaineers hailed his achievement as legendary.
“His expertise, charm, and resilience make him an essential member of the Everest community,” stated Adrian Ballinger from the U.S.-based Alpenglow Expeditions.
“He’s the ideal person to narrate a two-decade journey on this mountain,” remarked Burlinger, a nine-time summit official at Everest, who currently manages an expedition on the Chinese side.
Cool first reached the Everest summit in 2004 and has tackled numerous climbs nearly every year since then.
On this occasion, he was accompanied by Sherpa Dorji Galjen.
Another Sherpa from Nepal, Kami Rita, holds the record for the most Everest ascents, having reached the summit 30 times.
Cool ascended using the Southeast Ridge, commonly known as the South Col route, which was originally traversed by New Zealanders Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay in 1953. This route remains the most favored among climbers.
Since the historic climb of Hillary and Norgay over 70 years ago, over 8,000 individuals have successfully summited Everest.
Mountaineering is a significant source of tourism, revenue, and job opportunities in Nepal, which hosts eight of the world’s tallest peaks, including Everest.
For the current climbing season, Nepal has issued 468 permits, each costing climbers around $11,000, and it is set to conclude this month.
