Kami Rita Sherpa Makes History Again: 31st Summit of Mount Everest | The New World Record up in the Himalayas!

Date of Summit: May 27, 2025

Time: Approximately 4:00 a.m. Nepal Standard Time

Location: Summit of Mount Everest (8,848.86 meters)

A Moment That Redefined Limits

May 27, 2025 | 4:00 AM NST – South Summit, Mt. Everest

In the stillness of the early morning, with stars fading above the world’s highest peaks, Kami Rita Sherpa, the legendary Everest climber, once again made history. At exactly 4:00 a.m. Nepal Standard Time, he reached the summit of Mount Everest for a record-breaking 31st time, further extending his legacy as the man who knows Everest better than anyone.

This remarkable Mount Everest expedition was part of the Indian Army Adventure Wing Everest Expedition, led by Lieutenant Colonel Manoj Joshi, comprising 22 Indian Army mountaineers and supported by 27 experienced Sherpa mountain guides. Kami Rita, a veteran of high-altitude climbing in Nepal, served as the lead guide, showing the way through the treacherous Khumbu Icefall, across the daunting Lhotse Face, and up the iconic south ridge of Everest.

“Conditions were stable, and the route from Camp IV to the summit of Everest was ideal,” confirmed Mingma Sherpa, chairman of Seven Summit Treks, during a satellite call from the South Col. “At 4:00 a.m., Kami Rita radioed in, he was strong, safe, and raising the Nepali flag on Everest once more at the top of the world.”

His calm presence amid the swirling snow and razor-thin air was a testament to his unmatched Everest expedition experience. This latest ascent not only added another summit to his record but also widened the gap with Pasang Dawa Sherpa, who has 29 successful climbs.

With a career that spans more than three decades, Kami Rita Sherpa has become Mount Everest’s most familiar face. Every crevasse, cornice, and change in wind direction speaks to him. To many, he is the mountain, a symbol of Nepal’s trekking legacy and mountaineering spirit.

Born to Climb | The EverestMan

Thame Village, Solukhumbu – January 1970

High in the Himalayas, in the serene village of Thame, Kami Rita Sherpa was born into a legacy of mountaineering in Nepal. Residing in Nepal’s Solukhumbu District, this village has given rise to some of the world’s most respected Everest climbers, and Kami Rita is among its most legendary.

His journey began early. His father, one of the first Sherpa mountain guides following the historic 1953 Everest summit, laid the foundation. From a young age, the Nepalese mountains were more than just a backdrop — they were his calling.

Kami Rita made his first Mount Everest ascent in 1994, and since then, he has returned almost every Everest climbing season, except during rare closures caused by natural disasters or global pandemics. Each Everest summit added to a legacy built not just on records, but on resilience, Himalayan leadership, and an unshakable connection to the Everest region.

 Yet, his achievements don’t end with Everest. He has also stood atop K2, Lhotse, Cho Oyu, and Manaslu, some of the most challenging eight-thousanders on Earth. These high-altitude peaks test even the best, but for Kami Rita Sherpa, they’re chapters in a lifelong story of endurance, purpose, and unmatched mountaineering skill.

For Kami Rita Sherpa, climbing mountains isn’t just a profession, it’s a heritage, a passion, and a way of life rooted in the Himalayas.

"It’s My Job, Not My Record"

For Kami Rita Sherpa, the summit of Mount Everest is not a stage, it’s a workplace. After completing his 31st successful ascent of Mount Everest on May 27, 2025, he gave a simple statement from Everest Base Camp:

“I guide clients. I do my work. Records are for books, safe returns are my real success.”

Despite his name echoing through headlines across the world, Kami Rita Sherpa has never climbed for fame. As the Senior Mountain Guide at Seven Summit Treks, his mission is clear: lead with care, climb with purpose.

On each Everest expedition, he earns between $5,000 to $8,000, a modest portion of the tens of thousands paid by climbers for guided ascents of Mount Everest, but enough to support his large extended family and invest back into his Sherpa community in Nepal. What the world sees as mountaineering heroism, Kami sees as responsibility.

His work begins weeks before any summit attempt: acclimatizing, fixing ropes through the treacherous Khumbu Icefall, setting up high-altitude camps, and continuously monitoring Everest weather windows. Once climbers reach the high camps, Kami Rita becomes their lifeline, navigating the deadly Everest death zone, rationing supplemental oxygen, assessing avalanche risks, and leading rescue missions when needed.

“Every time I clip in a client’s harness, I carry their hopes, and their lives, in my hands,” he says. “That’s why I don’t chase records. I chase responsibility.”

Fellow Everest climbers often credit his sharp instincts, spotting hidden crevasses, sensing oncoming storms, and conserving team oxygen supplies, for saving countless lives. To them, Kami Rita Sherpa is not just a guide; he is the mountain’s guardian.

So when he reaches Everest’s summit, it’s not just about standing on top of the world. It’s about proving, once again, that true greatness lies in humility, discipline, and the quiet promise of bringing everyone home.

In this light, the 31st Everest summit is not simply a number but a reaffirmation of a lifetime’s dedication: the Sherpa vocation of service, where each ascent is as much about returning safely as it is about reaching the top.

Everest Expedition 2025: A Season of Feats

Spring 2025 has unfolded as one of the most remarkable climbing seasons in Everest’s storied history. With 468 Everest summit permits issued by Nepal’s Department of Tourism, the mountain has seen a vibrant influx of international climbers from around the world. So far, over 300 climbers have successfully reached the Everest summit, marking a season filled with ambition, courage, and personal milestones.

Among the standout achievements, British mountaineer Kenton Cool completed his 19th Everest summit, setting a new benchmark for non-Sherpa climbers and reaffirming his legendary status in the global mountaineering community.

Yet, in a season where many touched the sky, one figure stood above the rest, both in elevation and in legacy. Kami Rita Sherpa’s 31st successful summit of Mount Everest wasn’t just another number on the board; it was a moment that echoed through the Himalayas as a symbol of endurance, humility, and devotion to the guiding profession.

As climbers from all backgrounds celebrated their victories, Kami Rita’s Everest legacy served as a powerful reminder: on Mount Everest, it’s not only about reaching the summit, it’s about the lifelong dedication, training, and mountain guiding expertise it takes to get there, and come back safely, again and again.

The Man Born to Summit

For many, standing atop Mount Everest is the achievement of a lifetime. But for most international climbers, that dream is only possible because of one name: Kami Rita Sherpa, the most experienced Everest guide in history.

With more than three decades of Everest expedition leadership, Kami Rita has become the mountain’s most trusted companion. His instincts are shaped by countless hours navigating the Khumbu Icefall, reading the mountain’s subtle shifts in weather, and making critical decisions in the Everest death zone, often under extreme pressure. To those he guides, he is more than a mountaineer; he is a lifeline in the clouds.

His impact isn’t measured only in world record Everest summits, but in the hundreds of safe Everest climbs he has guided, leading climbers to the top and back again. Every rope he fixes, every oxygen bottle he shares, every step he takes ahead of his team is part of a larger mission: ensuring that Everest summit dreams are realized and lives are protected.

In a world where glory often overshadows grit, Kami Rita Sherpa reminds us that true leadership is quiet, steady, and deeply human. His footsteps have become the path many follow, and the reason they return, season after season, on Mount Everest.

What’s Next for the Everest Legend?

At 55 years old, Kami Rita Sherpa shows no signs of hanging up his harness. While most climbers retire after just a few high-altitude ascents, Rita continues to defy age, gravity, and expectations, with the same determination and discipline that has defined his Mount Everest career for over three decades.

More than just a mountaineering guide, he has become a standard-bearer of Everest climbing safety and leadership on the world’s highest peaks. Young Sherpa climbers look up to him not only for his unmatched Everest summit record, but for the calm, calculated way he handles every climb. He’s a mentor, a role model, and a walking legacy of Himalayan mountaineering.

As each Everest climbing season approaches, so does a familiar question: “Will Kami Rita Sherpa climb again?” Whether he chooses to summit for the 32nd time or steps back to guide Everest expeditions from base camp, one thing is certain: his impact is already etched into the mountain’s legacy.

Whatever path he takes next, the trail he has blazed will continue to guide and inspire the next generation of Everest climbers who dare to follow.

📸 In Photos: Highlights from Kami Rita Sherpa’s Historic 31st Summit

• Final Briefing at Everest Base Camp: The Indian Army Expedition Team prepares for the ascent under Kami Rita Sherpa’s leadership, with a final gear check and weather update before climbing Mount Everest.

• Summit of Everest: Kami Rita Sherpa proudly holds the Nepalese flag atop Mount Everest, marking his record-breaking 31st summit, a historic moment in Himalayan mountaineering.

• United in Triumph: The Indian Army Everest Expedition Team and their Sherpa mountain guides celebrate a successful climb, symbolizing teamwork, resilience, and high-altitude achievement.

• Safe Return to High Camp: A moment of reflection and calm as climbers regroup at Everest High Camp, highlighting the importance of safety and successful descent after summiting the world’s highest peak.

Legacy on the Mountain

The mountain may not remember names, but climbers do. And for generations to come, Kami Rita Sherpa will be remembered, not just as the man who reached the top of Everest a record 31 times, but as the legendary Mount Everest guide who helped countless others reach their dream.

For over 30 years, this iconic Sherpa mountaineer has stood face-to-face with the extremes of Everest. Not for fame. Not for glory. But out of duty, heart, and heritage. His story transcends the numbers, it’s a legacy of quiet heroism, unshakable responsibility, and the deep trust placed in him by every climber he’s guided.

As the most accomplished Everest summiteer, his footsteps across the treacherous Khumbu Icefall and narrow summit ridges have led hundreds of climbers safely to the top and safely home.

While Everest continues to challenge those who dare, Kami Rita Sherpa remains its most enduring presence, a Himalayan climbing legend, and a humble reminder that greatness is not measured by how high you climb, but by how many you lift along the way.