British mountain guide Kenton Cool recently broke his own record by scaling Mount Everest for the 17th time, surpassing the highest number of ascents of the mountain by a non-Sherpa guide.
Cool, who first conquered Everest in 2004, returned to Nepal's capital, Kathmandu, after successfully completing his latest climb. However, he has humbly stated that records do not belong on the mountains, emphasizing the mountains themselves are greater while expressing his satisfaction with a great climb and a safe return.
Although Cool holds the climbing record for non-Sherpa guides, only Nepali Sherpas have exceeded his accomplishment. Sherpa guide Kami Rita recently completed his 27th climb, setting a new record, while Pasang Dawa scaled Everest 26 times.
Both Rita and Dawa are still on the mountain with their climbing groups, potentially aiming for another summit before the spring climbing season concludes later this month.
Currently, numerous climbers and their local guides are present on Mount Everest, and an influx of climbers is expected in the coming weeks. Nepalese authorities issued around 470 climbing permits for the current season.
However, the mountain has continued to prove deadly as officials have recorded several fatalities this year, including four Sherpa guides.