KATHMANDU: Pasang Dawa Sherpa on Monday scaled Mt. Everest for the 27th time, equalising a world record for the highest number of ascents set earlier by Kami Rita Sherpa.
The 46-year-old mountaineer stood atop Mt. Everest for the 27th time at 8.25 am today, Dawa Gyaljen Sherpa, the Executive Director of Imagine Nepal Treks which organised the expedition, told PTI.
Pasang has become the second person in the world to climb the 8,848.86 metres-high peak 27 times, he said.
The mountaineer, born in Pangboche near the Everest region, first summited Everest in 1998. Pasang Dawa has made it to the top of the world's highest summit twice this spring. Earlier, he summited Everest for the 26th time on May 14.
Pa Dawa equalizes world record with Kami Rita scaling #Everest twice this season. More: https://t.co/6fq173QGBK #Everest70 #Everest2023 pic.twitter.com/w9QpW9B425
— Everest Today (@EverestToday) May 22, 2023Meanwhile, Kami Rita Sherpa, 53, who climbed Everest 27 times earlier, setting a world record, is also preparing to climb Everest for the 28th time, according to Thaneshwor Guragain of the Seven Summit Trek.
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Kami is waiting for a favourable time to scale Everest for the second time this season, to set another world record beating his own and Dawa's records. Earlier, Kami had stood atop Everest on May 17 for the 27th time.
The two veteran Sherpa climbers are competing with each other to set the world record for ascending the peak.
This spring, 478 climbers have received permission to climb Everest.
