As the 2025 spring climbing season unfolds, competition on Mount Everest is heating up once again. While younger climbers pursue rapid and multiple ascents to set personal milestones, veteran mountaineer Kami Rita Sherpa continues to cement his legacy as the most successful Everest climber in history.

Kami Rita, 55, is preparing for his 31st summit of Everest, aiming to break his own world record. Last year, he climbed the peak for the 30th time, surpassing his previous record of 28 summits. Born in Thame of Khumbu Pasanglhamu Rural Municipality, Kami Rita began his Everest journey in 1994 and has since become a symbol of endurance and dedication in Himalayan mountaineering.

“This is not about records—this is my profession,” said Kami Rita, who will be guiding an Indian Army team through Seven Summit Treks this season. Despite his humility, his repeated ascents continue to push the boundaries of what is considered possible on the world’s highest peak. He emphasized the importance of climber welfare, calling on the government to ensure social security and allocate resources for mountain cleanup, especially amid growing concerns about climate change and the melting of Everest's natural features.

While Kami Rita prepares for yet another summit, 28-year-old Tashi Gyalzen Sherpa from Solukhumbu has announced his ambition to climb Everest four times in just 20 days. Tashi, who has already climbed the peak four times, hopes to establish a new speed record this season. Inspired by his father, Dawafunju Sherpa—who once climbed Everest three times in eight days—Tashi is attempting this feat through ATK Expedition Company. He has previously guided climbers from India, China, and the U.S., and dreams of climbing the highest peaks on all seven continents in the future.

Though Tashi's determination reflects the new generation's energy, it is Kami Rita’s decades-long commitment and unmatched record that remain the most notable. Over the years, other climbers have also made headlines—Ang Rita Sherpa (10 summits without oxygen), Purnima Shrestha (three summits in one season), and double-amputee Hari Bahadur Budha among them. Still, none have matched Kami Rita's consistency and scale.

This season, Nepal's Department of Tourism has issued permits to 311 climbers (58 women, 253 men) from 30 teams to scale Everest as of Wednesday. A total of Rs 460 million in royalties has been collected from Everest alone, out of Rs 526.4 million from the overall climbing permits issued.

Route preparation is already complete up to Camp II via the trecherous Khumbu Icefall. The Everest Pollution Control Committee and skilled Sherpa teams of Icefall Doctors are leading the construction of higher routes. According to the new Mountaineering Regulations (Sixth Amendment, 2081), official recognition of records will only be granted if climbers obtain a valid permit beforehand.

As over 400 lives have been lost on Everest since the first successful ascent 72 years ago, climbers like Kami Rita remind the world that while records are celebrated, the risks are very real. Yet for him, Everest is not just a mountain—it’s a lifelong calling. -- RSS