Sherpa guide tries to reach top of the world for 22nd time
KATHMANDU, Nepal — Three men have climbed to the top of the world 21 times, all of them mountain guides who grew up in the shadow of Mount Everest. Two of these famed Sherpa guides have retired. But 48-year-old Kami Rita says he’ll be summiting Everest for years to come.
“My goal is to reach the summit of Everest at least 25 times,” he told The Associated Press in Kathmandu, Nepal’s capital, shortly before heading back to the mountain for what he hopes will mark a record-breaking climb. “I want to set a new record not just for myself but for my family, the Sherpa people and for my country, Nepal.”
For Rita, climbing is a family tradition.
His father was among the first professional guides after Nepal opened to foreign trekkers and mountaineers in 1950. His brother has scaled Everest 17 times. Most of his male relatives have reached the top least once.