A renowned Nepali mountain guide, Kami Rita Sherpa, has broken his own world record for the most summits of Mount Everest, after scaling the world's tallest peak for the 32nd time.
The 56-year-old, known as the Everest Man, led clients up the 8,849m (29,032ft) peak on Sunday, setting the new record.
On the same day, Lhakpa Sherpa, 52, known as the Mountain Queen, also broke her own record for the most ascents by a female climber after her 11th Everest summit.
This climbing season has seen a surge in activity, with a record number of permits issued to Everest aspirants, despite delays in opening routes due to glacier obstructions.
Both climbers were congratulated by Nepal's tourism department for their historic achievements, with Nepali Prime Minister Balendra Shah proclaiming that they had once again written history. He emphasized that such success stems from unwavering courage and dedication to the craft.
Kami Rita Sherpa has been climbing Everest almost every year since his first summit in 1994, and Lhakpa Sherpa became the first Nepali woman to summit Everest back in 2000, with her journey documented in a 2023 film titled Mountain Queen.
With almost 500 foreign climbers granted permits this year, concerns about safety due to potential traffic jams on the mountain have been raised, particularly following delays caused by large chunks of ice blocking paths.
