52-yr-old Nepali Sherpa scales Everest for 26th time; breaks own record

A 52-year-old Nepali Sherpa has climbed Mount Everest for the 26th time, bettering his own record for most number of times to scale the world's highest peak, expedition planners said on Sunday.

Kami Rita and his group of 11 Sherpa guides summitted the 8,848.86-metre peak at 6.55 pm (local time), said Dawa Sherpa, manager of Seven Summit Treks Pvt Ltd.

The Sherpas made the expedition to fix ropes along the trekking route, to help climbers ahead of the peak climbing season starting May.

The group climbed through the traditional southeast ridge route which was pioneered by New Zealand's Sir Edmund Hillary and Nepali Sherpa Tenzing Norgay in 1953.

This year the Department of Tourism, Nepal has issued permits to 316 individuals to climb the peak.

Rita scaled Mt Everest for the first time on May 13, 1994. Besides Mt Everest, Rita has also scaled Mt Godwin-Austen (K2), Mt Lhotse, Mt Manaslu and Mt Cho Oyu.

He also holds the record for most climbs over 8000 metres.

Till date, Everest has been climbed 10,657 times, many have climbed the peak multiple times. Over 300 people have died trying to scale the peak.