Kami Rita and Lhakpa Sherpa Set New Everest Records Amid Record Permit Surge

On Sunday, 17 May 2026, veteran Sherpa guides Kami Rita Sherpa and Lhakpa Sherpa reached the summit of Mount Everest on the same day. Kami Rita, 56, stood atop the 8 849-metre peak at 10:12 a.m. local time, marking his 32nd ascent and extending his own world record. Lhakpa, 52, arrived at 9:30 a.m., completing her 11th summit and breaking her own women’s record. Both climbs were part of commercial expeditions organized by 14 Peaks Expedition and Seven Summit Adventure respectively.

Kami Rita, Lhakpa Sherpa script history with record Everest summits on same dayKyabram Free PressNepal’s veteran mountaineer Kami Rita Sherpa scales Mount Everest for the 32nd time, breaking his own world record once again.Al Jazeera (website)Nepali mountaineer Kami Rita Sherpa summits Everest for record 32nd time

Kami Rita first summited Everest in 1994 while working for a commercial team and has guided almost every season since, missing only the 2014, 2015 and 2020 windows when expeditions were halted. Born in Thame village, Solukhumbu, he shares his hometown with Tenzing Norgay. In addition to Everest, he has logged eight ascents of Cho Oyu, five of Manaslu, and single climbs of K2 and Lhotse, earning a Guinness World Record for 42 true-summit ascents of 8 000-metre peaks.

Kami Rita, Lhakpa Sherpa script history with record Everest summits on same dayReutersNepali duo Kami Rita & Lhakpa Sherpa smash own Mount Everest recordsNepal’s veteran mountaineer Kami Rita Sherpa scales Mount Everest for the 32nd time, breaking his own world record once again.Nepali mountaineer Kami Rita Sherpa summits Everest for record 32nd time

Lhakpa, also from Thame, became the first Nepali woman to summit and descend Everest in 2000. She has since added ten more ascents, including eight from the Tibetan side, and in 2023 reached the summit of K2. Outside mountaineering she lives in Connecticut, USA, and works as a dishwasher at Whole Foods Market. She has highlighted her climbs as a means to empower Nepali women, stating “They can do anything they want.”

Kami Rita, Lhakpa Sherpa script history with record Everest summits on same dayNepal’s Kami Rita Sherpa scales Mount Everest for record 32nd timeDW NewsNepali duo Kami Rita & Lhakpa Sherpa smash own Mount Everest recordsNepal’s veteran mountaineer Kami Rita Sherpa scales Mount Everest for the 32nd time, breaking his own world record once again.

The Nepalese government issued a record 492 climbing permits for the 2026 spring season (some reports list 494 permits). Approximately 1 000 climbers are expected to attempt the summit in the days following the record climbs. Three Nepali climbers have died on Everest this month, while the long-term average is five to ten deaths per year and more than 320 fatalities since the first ascent in 1953. Non-Sherpa record holders include British guide Kenton Cool (19 summits) and Americans Dave Hahn and Garrett Madison (15 each), both currently on the mountain.

Nepali duo Kami Rita & Lhakpa Sherpa smash own Mount Everest recordsAl Jazeera (website)ReutersDW NewsKyabram Free Press

Himal Gautam, spokesperson for Nepal’s Tourism Department, called the twin achievements “another milestone in Nepal’s mountaineering history” and said they could make climbing “safer, more dignified and better managed.” The Department of Tourism issued a congratulatory statement describing Kami Rita’s feat as a “historic milestone” for mountain tourism. Prime Minister Balendra Shah praised the climbers as symbols of Nepal’s “self-respect, courage, patience and Himalayan civilisation.” Expedition leaders Mingma Sherpa and Khimlal Gautam confirmed the exact summit times for both climbers.

Nepal’s Kami Rita Sherpa scales Mount Everest for record 32nd timeKami Rita, Lhakpa Sherpa script history with record Everest summits on same dayDW NewsThe Straits TimesNepali duo Kami Rita & Lhakpa Sherpa smash own Mount Everest records

The unprecedented permit count has revived worries about congestion on the mountain, especially if adverse weather narrows the climbing window. Officials and operators note that overcrowding can increase the risk of accidents and strain limited high-altitude resources.

DW News

Sources differ on the total number of permits issued (492 vs. 494) and on Kami Rita’s age (55 in some accounts, 56 in others). Death figures are reported as three Nepali climbers this month, while broader statistics cite an average of five to ten fatalities annually. No independent verification of the exact number of climbers currently on the mountain is provided.

DW News

• “This is another milestone in Nepal’s mountaineering history,” — Himal Gautam, spokesperson, Nepal Tourism Department

The Straits Times

• “By breaking records through healthy competition on Everest will help make climbing safer, more dignified and better managed.” — Himal Gautam

Al Jazeera (website)

• “Taking clients to the summit is my duty.” — Kami Rita Sherpa

Nepali mountaineer Kami Rita Sherpa summits Everest for record 32nd time

• “Without dedication and immense skill, scaling Everest 32 times would be impossible,” — Ang Tshering Sherpa, former president, Nepal Mountaineering Association

Nepal’s Kami Rita Sherpa scales Mount Everest for record 32nd time

• “Such historic success can only be achieved through unwavering courage, rigorous self-discipline, and honest dedication to one’s work,” — Balendra Shah, Prime Minister of Nepal

Nepal’s Kami Rita Sherpa scales Mount Everest for record 32nd time

• “They can do anything they want,” — Lhakpa Sherpa

Kami Rita, Lhakpa Sherpa script history with record Everest summits on same day

More than 70 climbers are slated to attempt the summit in the coming days, and Kami Rita has hinted he may pursue a 33rd ascent later this season, while other record-seeking guides continue their own campaigns.

Kyabram Free Press