Pasang Dawa Sherpa, a Sherpa guide, made history on Sunday by scaling the summit of Mount Everest for the 26th time, matching the record previously set by fellow Nepalese guide, Kami Rita. Sherpa accomplished the feat alongside a Hungarian climber, according to the organizer Imagine Nepal Treks.
The climbing season has just begun and a wave of climbers reached the summit over the weekend, with Sherpa guides fixing ropes and creating paths for the hundreds of climbers who will attempt to reach the peak over the coming weeks. Dawa has made the climb almost every year since his first successful ascent of the peak in 1998.
Experienced mountain guide Kami Rita, who previously held the record for the most climbs of Mount Everest, is expected to make another attempt later this month, guiding foreign climbers to the top of the world.
Climbers typically reach the base camp in April and spend several weeks acclimatizing to the high altitude, rough terrain, and thin air before attempting to scale the peak. By the first or second week of May, climbers are usually making attempts for the summit.
This year’s climbing season was slightly delayed after three Sherpa climbers fell into a deep crevasse on a treacherous section of the mountain in April, and rescuers have not been able to find them.
With the route to the summit now open, a rush to make attempts is expected in the next couple of weeks, as the Nepalese authorities have issued nearly 470 permits for Everest during the popular spring climbing season.
This year also marks the 70th anniversary of the first ascent of Mount Everest in 1953 by New Zealander Edmund Hillary and his Sherpa guide Tenzing Norgay, adding significance to the achievement of Sherpa guide Pasang Dawa.
