British Mountaineer Reaches Everest Summit for 19th Time, Sets Non-Sherpa Record

Almost Every Year Since His First Ascent in 2004
The Sherpa Record Stands at 30 Summits

British mountaineer Kenton Cool, 51, has achieved his 19th ascent of Mount Everest, setting the record for the most ascents by a non-Sherpa climber.

According to reports from the BBC and AP on the 18th (local time), Cool reached the summit of Mount Everest, the world's highest peak at 8,849 meters above sea level, at around 11 a.m. that day.

British mountaineer Kenton Cool set the record for the most ascents by climbing Everest 19 times. Photo by AFP Yonhap News

Since his first ascent of Everest in 2004, Cool has reached the summit almost every year. In 2014, his climb was canceled due to an avalanche that killed 16 Sherpas, and in 2015, he was unable to summit because of another fatal avalanche caused by an earthquake. In 2020, he could not climb due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

On this latest ascent, Cool was accompanied by Nepali Sherpa Dorje Gyaljen, who reached the summit for the 23rd time. Previously, after his 16th ascent in 2022, Cool told AFP in an interview, "Considering that many Sherpas have successfully summited far more times, this record is not particularly surprising."

The Sherpa with the most Everest ascents is Kami Rita Sherpa, 55, who has reached the summit an astonishing 30 times. He set his 30th record on May 22 last year, drawing particular attention because it came just 10 days after his 29th ascent on May 12 of the same month. Previously, in May 2019, he climbed Everest twice within a week, on the 15th and 21st, and again in May 2023, he reached the summit twice in one week. After his 29th ascent, he said, "I'm happy to set a record, but records are meant to be broken someday," adding, "I'm even happier that my ascents help raise global awareness of Nepal."

Mount Everest, the highest peak in the world. Pixabay

Meanwhile, the Nepalese government will increase the Mount Everest permit fee for foreign climbers by 36% starting this September. This is the first fee increase in about 10 years, since January 2015, and aims to help distribute climbers more evenly. The new fees will vary by season: during the peak climbing period of March to May, the fee will be $15,000 (about 21 million KRW) per person; from September to November, it will be $7,500 (about 10.5 million KRW); and from December to February, it will be $3,750 (about 5.24 million KRW).