British mountaineer Kenton Cool on Sunday morning climbed Mount Everest for the 19th time, setting a new record for the most ascents of the world’s highest peak by a non-Sherpa climber.
The 51-year-old was reported to be in good health while descending, confirmed Iswari Paudel of Himalayan Guides Nepal , which managed the expedition, according to agency AP.
Cool, from Gloucestershire in southwest England, first summited Everest in 2004 and has since scaled the 8,849-metre (29,032-foot) mountain nearly every year.
His climbing schedule was interrupted only in 2014, 2015, and 2020, years when Everest expeditions were either cancelled due to deadly avalanches or the Covid-19 pandemic.
The accomplished climber was accompanied by Dorji Gyaljen Sherpa, who completed his 23rd ascent during the same climb, reported The Himalayan Times.
They reached the summit around 9:15 am, using the standard Southeast Ridge route pioneered by Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay in 1953.
Cool's achievement was widely celebrated in the climbing community. Adrian Ballinger of US-based Alpenglow Expeditions was quoted by Reuters as saying, “His experience, charisma, and strength make him a valuable part of the Everest community. He’s just a great person to share stories from two decades on the mountain.”
While Cool holds the record among non-Sherpa climbers, Nepali legend Kami Rita Sherpa remains the overall record holder with 30 Everest summits and is currently on the mountain aiming for another, according to AP.
Nepal, which hosts eight of the world’s 14 highest peaks, has issued 468 Everest climbing permits this season, each costing $11,000, as per Reuters.
The current spring window is the most popular for Everest expeditions, typically closing at the end of May before the monsoon season begins.
Cool has also achieved other milestones in high-altitude climbing.
In 2013, he became the first British mountaineer to summit Mt Nuptse, Mt Everest, and Mt Lhotse in a single season. In 2021, he scaled Lhotse less than 29 hours after reaching the top of Everest, as per The Himalayan Times.
The 51-year-old was reported to be in good health while descending, confirmed Iswari Paudel of Himalayan Guides Nepal , which managed the expedition, according to agency AP.
Cool, from Gloucestershire in southwest England, first summited Everest in 2004 and has since scaled the 8,849-metre (29,032-foot) mountain nearly every year.
His climbing schedule was interrupted only in 2014, 2015, and 2020, years when Everest expeditions were either cancelled due to deadly avalanches or the Covid-19 pandemic.
The accomplished climber was accompanied by Dorji Gyaljen Sherpa, who completed his 23rd ascent during the same climb, reported The Himalayan Times.
They reached the summit around 9:15 am, using the standard Southeast Ridge route pioneered by Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay in 1953.
Cool's achievement was widely celebrated in the climbing community. Adrian Ballinger of US-based Alpenglow Expeditions was quoted by Reuters as saying, “His experience, charisma, and strength make him a valuable part of the Everest community. He’s just a great person to share stories from two decades on the mountain.”
While Cool holds the record among non-Sherpa climbers, Nepali legend Kami Rita Sherpa remains the overall record holder with 30 Everest summits and is currently on the mountain aiming for another, according to AP.
Nepal, which hosts eight of the world’s 14 highest peaks, has issued 468 Everest climbing permits this season, each costing $11,000, as per Reuters.
The current spring window is the most popular for Everest expeditions, typically closing at the end of May before the monsoon season begins.
Cool has also achieved other milestones in high-altitude climbing.
In 2013, he became the first British mountaineer to summit Mt Nuptse, Mt Everest, and Mt Lhotse in a single season. In 2021, he scaled Lhotse less than 29 hours after reaching the top of Everest, as per The Himalayan Times.
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