Sherpa Guide Ties the All-Time Record for Scaling Mount Everest With 26th Climb
A Sherpa guide just became the second person to scale Mount Everest 26 times, making the trip nearly every year since 1998.
Pasang Dawa Sherpa with the trekking company Imagine Nepal Treks successfully reached the summit with a Hungarian client this weekend, among the first wave of this season's climbers. A representative for the hiking company told Reuters that the pair is now "descending from the top and are in good shape."
Trekking season at Everest lasts from about March through May, as climbers typically reach the base camp in April and spend a few weeks getting acclimated to the high altitude and terrain before attempting the summit.
This year's expeditions—out of a record 467 permits issued by Nepal—have been delayed due to three Sherpas falling into a crevasse on a treacherous part of the mountain. Rescue attempts have since been unsuccessful.
On top of the inherent risks associated with climbing Everest, a guided climb to the top costs over $60,000 per person.
Nepal Everest Himalaya Hiking Company congratulated Dawa on Instagram following his big milestone—listing every year the 46-year-old has made the journey.
However, Dawa's record may be short lived, as mountain guide Kami Rita, who previously held the solo record, is already preparing to climb the peak later this month.
This year marks the 70th anniversary of the first time Everest was scaled by Sir Edmund Hillary of New Zealand and Sherpa Tenzing Norgay in 1953. The mountain has since been scaled over 11,000 times with about 320 climbers perishing in the process.
