Britain: British climber Kenton Cool has reached the summit of Mount Everest for a record 19th time, further cementing his legacy as the non-Sherpa with the most climbs of the world’s highest peak.
The 51-year-old mountaineer summited the 8,849-metre (29,000-foot) Himalayan giant at 11:00 local time (04:15 GMT), accompanied by experienced Nepali Sherpa Dorji Gyaljen, who recorded his 23rd successful ascent.
Cool first climbed Everest in 2004 and has returned nearly every year since. Despite the impressive milestone, he has previously been modest about his record, acknowledging that many Nepali Sherpas have achieved far more. After completing his 16th climb, Kenton Cool stated that, “I’m really surprised by the interest, considering that so many of the sherpas have so many more ascents.”
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Dorji Gyaljen’s fellow countryman, Kami Rita Sherpa, currently holds the all-time record with 30 Everest summits and is trying yet another climb this season. Cool’s latest feat comes during a week marked by tragedy on the mountain. At least two climbers, Subrata Ghosh of India and Philipp ‘PJ’ Santiago II of the Philippines have died with the ongoing climbing season.
Days before his record-setting summit, Cool shared a hopeful update on Instagram, saying he finally had ‘a positive forecast’ that would allow a safe climb. American adventurer Adrian Ballinger, currently leading an expedition on Everest, praised Cool’s assistance to the mountaineering community.
Jordanian mountaineer Mostafa Salameh, who has completed the Explorers Grand Slam, also complimented Cool online, calling his achievement ‘amazing’. In addition to his personal pursuits, Cool works as a mountain guide and has led several notable figures, including British explorer Sir Ranulph Fiennes, on major expeditions.
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