Nepal

Two Nepali Mountaineers Break Everest Records on Same Day

Is this a monumental achievement or glossing over a broken and exploited mountain?

Published MAY 18

Two Nepali Mountaineers Break Everest Records on Same Day

Story

Above: Everest base camp in the Mount Everest region of Solukhumbu district, Nepal, on April 18, 2024. Image credit: Purnima Shrestha/AFP/Getty Images

The Facts

Nepali mountaineer Kami Rita Sherpa broke his own world record on Sunday when he scaled Mount Everest for the 32nd time, reaching the 8,849-meter (29,032-foot) summit at 10:12 a.m. local time while guiding climbers for 14 Peaks Expedition.
Nepal Department of Tourism
The Times of India
BBC News
Kami Rita Sherpa first summited Everest in 1994 while working for a commercial expedition and has climbed the mountain almost every year since, while working as a mountain guide under a permit issued by the Nepal Department of Tourism.
Nepal Department of Tourism on X
Anadolu Agency
Meanwhile, at 9:30 a.m. local time the same day, Lhakpa Sherpa, 52, known as the "Mountain Queen," completed her 11th Everest ascent, extending her own record for the most summits by a female climber, after becoming the first Nepali woman to summit Everest in 2000.
Dw.Com
Nepal Department of Tourism
Commenting on the achievements, Himal Gautam, a spokesperson for the tourism department, said they were "another milestone in Nepal's mountaineering history" and claimed that the climbs would make future ascents "safer, more dignified, and better managed."
Daily Sabah
France 24
The records come as Nepal has issued 492 permits for Everest expeditions in the Spring 2026 season, with roughly 1,000 climbers expected to attempt the summit, given that most mountaineers ascend alongside at least one Nepali guide.
Nepal Department of Tourism
RFI
Nepal previously introduced stricter mountaineering regulations in 2025, banning solo expeditions on all 8,000-meter peaks and raising the royalty fee for foreign climbers on Everest's standard south route from $11,000 to $15,000 per person.
Asia News Network
The Kathmandu Post

Sources Split

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The Spin

Narrative A

Kami Rita Sherpa and Lakpa Sherpa's shattering of their respective Everest records on Sunday was a monumental achievement that will live long in the annals of history. Their success not only proves they are the greatest mountaineers alive, but it also paves the way for safer and better-managed climbs in the future.

Nepal Department of Tourism

Nepal Department of Tourism on X

Narrative B

Record climbs may make headlines, but Everest is broken, overcrowded, polluted and built on exploited labor. With safety risks mounting and bodies literally lining the route, Nepal must take action to enforce stricter permit limits and ensure that the guides who make these expeditions possible get a fair share of the fees.