British climber sets record with 20th Everest summit

KATHMANDU — A 52-year-old British climber set a new record early Friday by reaching the summit of Mount Everest for the 20th time, becoming the first non-Nepali to achieve the feat.

Kenton Cool became the first non-Sherpa to conquer the world’s highest peak 20 times as he stood atop the 8,849-meter (29,032-foot) mountain before dawn. However, his celebration coincided with reports that two Indian climbers had died, renewing calls to limit activity on the peak.

Cool is expected to reach base camp over the weekend after his latest ascent. In a statement carried by Reuters news agency, he said climbing Everest never gets “any easier or any less frightening. It’s the tallest mountain in the world and with it comes an incredible sense of majesty.”

“I rely on every bit of experience I have to move safely in this environment. Standing on the summit for the twentieth time is incredibly special,” Cool said.

Cool is the first non-Sherpa to achieve 20 summits, but at least seven Nepali climbers have more than 20. Kami Rita Sherpa, 55, also known as “Everest Man,” extended his world record by climbing the peak for the 32nd time on Sunday.

Cool first reached Everest’s summit in 2004 and has since undertaken an expedition almost every year. His journey has not been without hardship; after a rock-climbing accident in 1996 that broke both heel bones, he was told he would never walk unaided again.

Four-time Everest climber and expedition organizer Lukas Furtenbach told Reuters that Cool was “quietly rewriting the record books,” praising him as an “absolute legend” for accumulating more Everest summits than any non-Sherpa in history.

Cool’s achievement follows another record. On Wednesday, more than 270 climbers ascended via Nepal’s southern route — the most in a single day — amid growing calls for action to prevent overcrowding and improve safety.

Two Indian climbers were reported on Friday to have reached the summit but died during their descent after they “fell ill,” Nivesh Karki, director at Pioneer Adventure, told AFP news agency.

Authorities are working to bring the bodies down from the summit. Officials said the deaths bring the toll during this Everest season to five.

Eight of the world’s 10 highest peaks are in Nepal, and thousands attempt to climb them each year. Photos posted by climbers show long lines of people ascending fixed ropes, queuing in icy, low-oxygen high-altitude zones.

Kami Rita Sherpa on Friday expressed concern about climbers’ experience. “The government should regulate this a bit,” he told AFP. “They should let in only climbers of quality; there should be a limit.”

The British climber’s 20th summit was hailed by many in the mountaineering community, but the deaths underscore persistent safety issues on Everest. The season has seen a surge in climbers, prompting debate over permits and crowd management.

As Cool descends, authorities and expedition operators face mounting pressure to ensure that Everest remains accessible but safe, balancing record-setting achievements with the protection of lives on the world’s highest peak.