Kami Rita and Lhakpa Sherpa set new Everest summit records in 2026

Two veteran Nepali Sherpa guides made fresh history on Mount Everest on Sunday, extending long-running personal records on the world’s highest peak and underscoring Nepal’s high-volume Everest season.

Kami Rita Sherpa, 56, reached the Everest summit for a reported 32nd time while leading clients with the 14 Peaks Expedition company, according to the Nepal Tourism Department. The ascent was completed at 10.12 a.m. local time. Lhakpa Sherpa, 52, then also topped out for her 11th time, setting a new mark for the most successful Everest summits by any woman. She reached the 8,848.86-metre summit at 9.30 a.m. local time after leaving camp four overnight, and was guiding a client during the climb.

The achievements came as Nepal prepares for a March to May climbing window that has drawn a large number of expeditions. Nepal has issued a record 492 Everest permits for the current season, and more than 8,000 people have climbed the mountain since the first recorded ascent in 1953 by Tenzing Norgay and Sir Edmund Hillary. Many climbers have returned multiple times, contributing to a steady flow of traffic on the route.

Himal Gautam, a spokesperson for Nepal’s Tourism Department, said the...