Sherpa scales Everest twice in one week, breaking record for most climbs ever

Kami Rita's father was one of first of the group to be employed to help climbers reach summit

Kami Rita Sherpa reached the summit of Everest twice in one week for his record-breaking climb (Prakash Mathema/AFP/Getty Images)

A Sherpa mountaineer has extended his record for successful climbs of Mount Everest with his 24th ascent of the world’s highest peak.

Kami Rita reached the 29,035-foot peak earlier this week. It was his second time on the summit in a week.

He climbed to the top on 15 May then returned to base camp, before climbing it again.

Nepal Department of Tourism official Mira Acharya said Mr Rita reached the summit on Tuesday, along with several other climbers taking advantage of favourable weather.

There are 41 teams with a total of 378 climbers permitted to scale Everest during the spring climbing season. An equal number of Nepalese guides are helping them to get to the summit.

Several climbers have already reached the top, while dozens are expected to make their attempt this week.

Only a few windows of good weather each May allow climbers the best chance of climbing to Everest’s summit.

Hie latest climb brings Mr Rita closer to his target of 25 ascents of Everest before he retires from high mountain climbing.

The 49-year-old's two closest peers have climbed the peak 21 times each, but both of them have retired from mountain climbing.

Mr Rita first scaled Everest in 1994 and has been making the trip nearly every year since.

His father was among the first Sherpa guides employed to help climbers reach the summit, and Rita followed in his footsteps.

In addition to his nearly two dozen summits of Everest, Mr Rita has scaled some of the other highest mountains, K-2, Cho-Oyu, Manaslu and Lhotse.

Sherpa tribespeople were mostly yak herders and traders living deep within the Himalayas until Nepal opened its borders in the 1950s.

Their stamina and familiarity with the mountains quickly made them sought-after guides and porters.

Reuters