Kami Rita Sherpa and Lhakpa Sherpa Set New Everest Climbing Records

Kami Rita and Lhakpa Sherpa Set New Everest Climbing Records

Two new records were set in Nepal’s mountaineering history on May 17, 2026, Sunday. Kami Rita Sherpa, known by the nickname “Everest Man,” successfully climbed Mount Everest for the 32nd time, while Lhakpa Sherpa, known by the nickname “Mountain Queen,” successfully climbed Everest for the 11th time.

According to the Department of Tourism, Kami Rita has set a world record as the male climber with the highest number of Everest ascents, while Lhakpa has set a world record as the female climber with the highest number of Everest ascents. The department said Kami Rita reached the summit at 10:12 a.m. on Sunday, while Lhakpa reached the summit at 9:30 a.m.

Himal Gautam, Director at the department, said Everest climbing is not only adventurous but also a risky and sensitive journey. He said the achievements recorded on Sunday have helped make Nepal’s mountain tourism more distinctive, respected, and a matter of pride across the world. According to him, these achievements have also helped inspire the international community toward safe and adventurous activities and strengthen the message that Nepali women are second to none in bold and challenging work.

Gautam said the success of both renowned Sherpa climbers has added a proud chapter to Nepal’s mountaineering history. Although the number of women climbers is lower than that of men, he said the growing participation, activity, and confidence of women in mountaineering have taken mountain tourism to a new height.

Kami Rita, born on January 17, 1970, in Thame of Solukhumbu, first climbed Mount Everest in 1994. Having reached the summit almost every year in recent years, he reached the world’s highest peak for the 31st time on Jestha 13, 2082, during last year’s climbing season. Before that, in 2081 BS, he made two successful ascents, his 29th and 30th climbs.

Lhakpa Sherpa, born in 1973 in Makalu-2 of Sankhuwasabha, had previously climbed Everest for the 10th time in 2022. This year, she broke her own record by climbing Everest for the 11th time.

425 Women Climbed Everest in the Last Decade

In the 73 years since humans first set foot on Mount Everest, 704 women climbers have reached its summit. According to the Department of Tourism’s “Mountaineering in Nepal, Facts and Figures–2025,” 425 women have climbed Everest in the last decade alone.

Tenzing Norgay Sherpa and Edmund Hillary first set human foot on Everest on May 29, 1953. Twenty-two years later, on May 16, 1975, Japanese climber Junko Tabei climbed Everest and became the first woman to summit the mountain. Eighteen years after that, on April 22, 1993, Pasang Lhamu Sherpa became the first Nepali woman climber to reach the summit of Everest. She died while returning from the summit.

According to the department’s data, no one was able to climb Everest in 2015 due to the earthquake. In that year, when the climbing season was affected, 22 people lost their lives in an avalanche in the Everest region.