Kathmandu, Nepal — At 4:00 AM on a frigid Tuesday morning, high above the clouds where oxygen is scarce and every breath must be earned, 55-year-old Nepali mountaineer Kami Rita Sherpa stepped onto the summit of Mount Everest for the 31st time. With that step, he once again etched his name into the annals of human endurance and resilience, breaking his own world record for the most ascents of the planet’s highest mountain.

While for most, a single Everest summit represents a lifetime achievement, for Kami Rita, it is an annual pilgrimage — a job, a calling, and a legacy.

The Relentless Rhythm of the Mountain

Born in 1970 in the village of Thame in Nepal's Solukhumbu district — a region deeply intertwined with the Sherpa mountaineering tradition — Kami Rita grew up in the shadow of Everest. His father was among the early wave of Sherpas hired by foreign expeditions in the wake of Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay’s historic 1953 ascent. Following in those storied footsteps, Kami Rita joined his first Everest expedition in 1994, and has returned nearly every year since.

Some years he’s climbed the mountain twice — as he did in both 2023 and 2024 — often acting as a guide for commercial expeditions. His most recent summit involved escorting a team of Indian Army officers to the top, an operation requiring both physical might and elite logistical skill.

But for Kami Rita, it’s not about fame. “I am glad for the record,” he said last year. “But records are eventually broken. I am more happy that my climbs help Nepal be recognised in the world.”

A Living Symbol of Everest

To many in Nepal and the mountaineering world, Kami Rita is more than just a prolific climber — he is Everest personified. As expedition organizer Seven Summit Treks aptly put it, "Kami Rita Sherpa needs no introduction. He is not just a national climbing hero, but a global symbol of Everest itself."

His closest rival, fellow Nepali Sherpa Pasang Dawa, has 29 summits to his name — a staggering figure by any measure, yet still two shy of Kami Rita’s lead. Meanwhile, British climber Kenton Cool, who recently completed his 19th ascent, holds the record among non-Sherpa climbers, underscoring the exceptionalism of Sherpa guides whose efforts so often go unheralded in the Western-dominated narratives of Himalayan climbing.

Kami Rita’s enduring strength and humility have earned him widespread admiration. His Instagram and media snippets — such as recent images of a Puja ceremony, a traditional Tibetan Buddhist prayer ritual for safe passage — offer glimpses into a spiritually rich and physically demanding profession few truly understand.

The Everest Industry: Growth, Glamor, and Growing Pains

Kami Rita’s 31st summit comes during a climbing season that has seen over 500 successful summits, part of a broader trend of booming interest in high-altitude adventure. Nepal’s Department of Tourism issued over 1,000 permits this season for Everest and other Himalayan peaks, bringing in much-needed revenue to the nation’s fragile economy.

Yet this surge has sparked significant concerns — from dangerous overcrowding on narrow ridge routes to escalating environmental degradation. In 2019, the infamous photo of climbers queueing in a traffic jam near Everest’s summit became a viral symbol of the risks and absurdities of commercial climbing.

The government has responded with new regulations, including a bold — if unusual — directive in 2023: climbers are now required to collect and return their own fecal waste from the mountain. It’s a move aimed at protecting Everest’s fragile alpine environment, which is struggling under the strain of thousands of climbers.

Legacy of the Sherpas: Backbone of the Himalayas

The Everest success stories plastered across headlines often spotlight wealthy adventurers and international records, yet it is Sherpas like Kami Rita who bear the burden — literally and figuratively — of these expeditions. Carrying oxygen tanks, fixing ropes, setting ladders, and guiding clients through the “Death Zone” (above 8,000 meters), they make Everest accessible while putting their own lives on the line.

For most Sherpas, climbing isn’t a hobby — it’s economic necessity. Kami Rita has long spoken candidly about his climbs being “just work.” Despite global recognition, many Sherpa guides return to modest homes, their pay a fraction of what foreign clients spend for the same experience.

And yet, few complain. There is a deep, generational reverence for the mountains and a quiet pride in playing a role in what many see as a sacred endeavor.

What Comes Next for the Everest Man?

At 55, Kami Rita shows no signs of slowing. His strength at altitude remains astonishing, his skills honed to near-perfection. Asked in previous interviews whether he plans to retire, he has demurred, suggesting he’ll keep climbing “as long as my body allows.”

Beyond records and accolades, what Kami Rita offers the world is perspective: a lesson in humility, persistence, and reverence for nature. His story is not just about breaking records, but about honoring tradition, serving community, and mastering one of Earth’s harshest frontiers with grace.

Whether or not someone ever bests his 31-summit record, Kami Rita Sherpa’s legacy is already cemented — not only on the mountain, but in the hearts of a grateful nation and the global climbing community.

Sidebar: The Math of the Mountain

  • Elevation of Mount Everest: 8,849 meters (29,032 feet)

  • First Kami Rita summit: 1994

  • Total ascents by Kami Rita: 31

  • Closest competitor: Pasang Dawa (29 summits)

  • Non-Sherpa record: Kenton Cool (19 summits)

  • Total Everest summits in 2024: 500+

  • Climbing permits issued in 2024: 1,000+

  • Cost for foreign climbers: $45,000–$75,000 (typical expedition)

Final Thoughts

In an age of spectacle, where many seek viral moments and instant fame, Kami Rita Sherpa represents something different — an enduring spirit, a deep connection to heritage, and a quiet mastery earned not in years, but in vertical miles.

He climbs not to conquer the mountain, but to serve his people, to support his family, and to keep a centuries-old tradition alive. For that, he is not just the Everest Man — he is the Everest Legend.