Two veteran Nepali climbers, a man and a woman, have each set new records for ascents of the world's highest mountain. The 492 Everest climbing permits issued by Nepal for the 2026 spring season represent another high.

Kami Rita Sherpa, 56, nicknamed the "Everest Man," scaled the 8,849-meter peak for a record 32nd time, while Lhakpa Sherpa, 52, known as the "Mountain Queen," made her 11th summit.

Kami Rita reached the summit at around 10:12 a.m. (0427 GMT) at the head of an international expedition team, according to Mingma Sherpa, chairman of expedition operator Seven Summit Treks.

Lhakpa Sherpa, who in 2000 became the first Nepali woman to successfully summit and descend the mountain, stood at the top at 9:30 a.m. She was part of an expedition run by the Seven Summit Club agency.

Both climbers belong to the Sherpa ethnic group native to Nepal's Himalayan region and began their careers as porters before becoming professional guides. Kami Rita made his first ascent in 1994 while working for a commercial expedition.

Nepal has issued a record 492 permits for people wanting to climb Everest this season. As most mountaineers make their attempt accompanied by at least one Nepali guide, some thousand climbers are expected to ascend the mountain in the next few days.

The high numbers have fueled renewed concerns about overcrowding on the mountain, especially if poor weather shortens the climbing window. Expedition operators say restrictions on the Tibet side imposed by Chinese authorities have been one factor behind the increase.

Everest can be climbed from both Nepal and Chinese-administered Tibet, but ascents from the southern, Nepali side are more frequent. Although ascents have become relatively frequent since the first confirmed climb in 1953, the feat remains perilous, with more than 320 deaths since then.

Source: www.dw.com