Everest continues to set records 70 years after the first ascent

When the 70th anniversary of the first ascent to the Evereststarring New Zealander Edmund Hillary and Nepali Tenzing Norgay Sherpa, the world’s highest peak, whose summit has been trodden by nearly 7,000 climbers, continues to set new records with each passing season.

Taking advantage of the most recent milestones, such as a record number of 478 climbing permits issued this year or the 28th ascent of Kami Rita, the person who has stepped on the summit of Everest the most times, Nepal on Monday honored one hundred climbers who hold records in this mountain, coinciding with the 70th anniversary of the first ascent.

Hillary and Norgay’s expedition, completed on May 29, 1953, was the first of thousands who have since reached the 8,848-meter summit of Everest.

Among the climbers honored this Monday, the presence of Rita stood out, who extended her record for the most ascents to Everest this year, which she set at 28, or her immediate pursuer Pasang Dawa, who has 27 summits after her two climbs completed in the last month.

They were joined by other record men such as Sanu Sherpa, who has climbed all 14 eight-thousanders twice, and Hari Budha Magar, a former British soldier who this month became the first double above-knee amputee to scale Everest.

This wave of records comes the same year that the Nepalese authorities issued their highest number of climbing permits, with 478, which helped the Himalayan country to raise more than five million dollars.

Although she was grateful for the tribute, Rita warned EFE after the event of the growing loss of interest in climbing in Nepal due to the dangers posed by the mountains, for which she regretted that “If that trend continues, there won’t be enough Sherpas (…) in the next decade.”

“We have been asking the government to put in place welfare programs to help the children of the Sherpas get better education and financial support for the widows of the Sherpas”he added.

So far this year, twelve climbers have died and another five have disappeared on Everest while trying to reach the top, the coordinator of its base camp, Khim Lal Gautam, told EFE.

Source: EFE