Everest record holder warns of Nepal danger as two Indian mountaineers die
Two Indian climbers die on Everest as overcrowding raises alarms
Al Jazeera English1 min read
British climber sets record with 20th Everest summit
TL;DR
British climber Kenton Cool has set a record by summiting Mount Everest for the 20th time. His achievement comes amid calls to limit climbing activity following the deaths of two Indian climbers.
Key points
- Kenton Cool summited Mount Everest for the 20th time
- He is the first non-Nepali climber to achieve this feat
- Two Indian climbers reportedly died during their ascent
- Cool described the climb as never getting easier or less frightening
- He is expected to reach base camp over the weekend
Mentioned in this story
Kenton CoolMount Everest
Nepal
A 52-year-old British climber has set a new record as he summited Mount Everest for a 20th time.
Kenton Cool became the first non-Nepali climber to conquer the world’s highest peak 20 times before dawn on Friday. However, as he celebrated his achievement and began his descent, voices called for limiting activity on the 8,849-metre (29,032ft) mountain as it was reported that two Indian climbers had died.
Cool is expected to reach the base camp over the weekend after his latest summit. In a statement carried by the Reuters news agency, he said climbing Mount Everest never gets “any easier or any less frightening. It’s the tallest mountain in the world and with it comes an incredible sense of majesty.
“I rely on every bit of experience I have to move safely in this environment. Standing on the summit for the twentieth time is incredibly special.”
British climber Kenton Cool set a new record as he climbed Everest for the 20th time (File: Reuters)
Cool is the first non-Sherpa to achieve the feat, but at least seven Nepali climbers have more than 20 summits under their belt.
Fifty-five-year-old Kami Rita Sherpa, or “Everest Man” climbed the summit for the 32nd time – extending the world record – on Sunday.
The British climber first reached Everest’s peak in 2004 and has since taken an expedition almost every year. His journey to the top of the world was not without hardship; he was once told he would never walk unaided again, after a rock-climbing accident in 1996 left both his heel bones broken.
Four-time Everest climber and expedition organiser Lukas Furtenbach told Reuters that Cool was “quietly rewriting the record books”, praising him as an “absolute legend” for racking up more Everest summits than any non-Sherpa in history.
Limit
Cool’s achievement follows on the heels of another record. On Wednesday, more than 270 climbers ascended via Nepal’s southern route, the most in a single day. That came amid calls for action to prevent overcrowding and improve safety.
Two Indian climbers were reported on Friday to have reached the peak, but to have died during their descent after they “fell ill”, Nivesh Karki, director at Pioneer Adventure, told the AFP news agency.
Q&A
Who is Kenton Cool and what record did he set on Mount Everest?
Kenton Cool is a 52-year-old British climber who became the first non-Nepali climber to summit Mount Everest 20 times.
What happened to the two Indian climbers on Mount Everest?
Reports indicate that two Indian climbers died while attempting to summit Mount Everest, prompting calls for limiting climbing activity on the mountain.
How does Kenton Cool feel about climbing Mount Everest after 20 summits?
Kenton Cool stated that climbing Mount Everest never gets easier or less frightening, emphasizing the mountain's majesty and the importance of experience for safety.
