Kathmandu (dpa)- British mountaineer Kenton Cool reached the summit of Mount Everest for the 20th time on Friday, breaking his own record for the most ascents by a climber not belonging to the ethnic Sherpa community.
"Along with [Cool], 29 Sherpa guides and 13 members, totaling 42 climbers, reached the summit today," Khimlal Gautam, in charge of the Department of Tourism's field office at Everest base camp, told dpa.
"He summited this morning with one of our teams and is now back at South Col," expedition organizer Lukas Furtenbach told dpa.
Regarded as one of the world's leading high-altitude climbers, the 52-year-old has climbed the 8,849-metre peak nearly every year since his first ascent in 2004. According to his website, he has also completed the Seven Summits challenge and is the only Briton known to have skied down two peaks higher than 8,000 metres.
The department has issued permits to 494 fee-paying climbers for Everest during the ongoing 2026 spring climbing season from the southern Nepalese side. They are accompanied by hundreds of guides and support staff. As of Friday, at least 600 climbers and guides have summited the peak.
While Cool holds the record among non-Sherpa climbers, Nepali Sherpa guides continue to dominate the overall Everest summit records.
Veteran guide Kami Rita Sherpa currently holds the overall record with 32 ascents of Everest after summiting earlier this season. Fellow guide Pasang Dawa Sherpa completed his second ascent of the season on Friday, taking his tally to 31.
In the women's category, Lhakpa Sherpa earlier this season extended her own record for the most Everest ascents by a woman with her 11th successful summit.
