Breaking his own record Briton climbs Mount Everest for the 20th time
British extreme mountaineer Kenton Cool has once again made history. The 52-year-old reached the summit of Mount Everest for the 20th time - more times than any other non-Sherpa before.
22.05.2026, 11:25
22.05.2026, 14:09
SDA
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- Briton Kenton Cool has climbed Mount Everest for the 20th time.
- He thus extends his own record among non-sherpas.
- Nepal has recorded more Everest concessions this season than ever before.
British mountaineer Kenton Cool has climbed Mount Everest for the 20th time, breaking his own record on the world's highest mountain from last year.
This makes the 52-year-old Briton the person with the most ascents of the 8,849-metre-high Everest who is not a member of the Sherpa ethnic group from the region.
Together with a group of climbers, Cool reached the summit in the morning (local time), according to a spokesperson for the Nepalese tourism department.
According to the expedition organizer Lukas Furtenbach, Cool had first arrived back at the mountain saddle called South Col at an altitude of around 7,900 meters between Everest and Lhotse after the successful ascent.
Record of 32 ascents
The record holder for the most Everest ascents is the Nepalese mountain guide Kami Rita Sherpa. He has already conquered the summit 32 times. In the current spring climbing season, he once again led a team on the way to the top of Everest.
Sherpas often work as guides and porters for mountaineers from abroad.
Cool first climbed the mountain in the Himalayas in 2004. Since then, he has repeated this feat almost every year. Everest is located on the border between Nepal and China. It can be climbed from both countries.
Big rush on Everest
According to the authorities, this time Nepal issued more permits than ever before for climbing Mount Everest during the peak season. By mid-May, 494 fee-based permits had been issued to climbers from 55 countries.
According to reports in the Nepalese media, one reason for the record number is the fact that China does not allow the ascent to Everest from the Tibetan side.
