EVEREST BASE CAMP, MAY 13

Armed with the banner of The Himalayan Times, legendary climber Kami Rita Sherpa scaled Mt Everest for 29th time, leading the world record of most ascents on the world's highest peak.

'On Sunday at 7:25am, I stood atop the Everest summit carrying THT banner,' Kami Rita said after he arrived at the Everest base camp this afternoon.

It was a bit windy at the summit point but he made it to the roof of the world for the record 29th time, the record-holding climber shared.

Kami Rita, who was warmly received by the liaison officers, climbers and expedition organizers at the base camp, said that he carried the banner of THT to the top of Everest admiring THT's effort to raise the voices of the climbing community.

On April 17, Rajan Pokhrel, Editor of The Himalayan Times, handed over the THT banner to Kami Rita when Sherpa left for Khumbu to begin Everest expedition from Kathmandu.

Tashi Lakpa Sherpa, Chief Executive Officer at 14 Peaks Expedition, said that Kami Rita successfully reached the summit point of Everest breaking his own record of most successful ascents of the highest peak.

Kami Rita, a native of Thame village in Solukhumbu, Nepal, working as Senior Guide at Seven Summit Treks and 14 Peaks Expedition has dedicated his life to mountaineering and has become synonymous with the world's highest peak.

Born on January 2, 1970, he developed a deep passion for climbing from a young age and has been scaling mountains for over two decades.

His mountaineering journey began in 1992 when he joined an expedition to Everest as a support staff member. Since then, Kami Rita has fearlessly embarked on numerous expeditions, summiting Everest multiple times.

Kami Rita's achievements extend beyond Everest, as he has also conquered other formidable peaks. 'Between 1994 and 2024, I scaled Mt Everest 29 times, K2 and Lhotse one time each, Manaslu thrice, and Cho Oyu eight times,' he quipped.