British climber makes 19th ascent of Everest, most by a non-Sherpa

18/5/2025 16:54

A British climber beat his own record on Sunday for the most climbs of Mount Everest by a non-Sherpa, making his 19th ascent of the world's highest mountain, a hiking official said.



Britain's Kenton Cool, 51, climbed the 8,849-m peak in the morning and was descending to lower camps, said Rajan Bhattarai of Nepali expedition organising company Himalayan Guides.



Fellow climbers hailed the record as "legendary".



"His experience, charisma, and strength make him a valuable part of the Everest community," said Adrian Ballinger of U.S.-based Alpenglow Expeditions.

"He's just a great person to share stories from two decades on the mountain," Ballinger, a nine-time summiteer of Everest now leading an expedition on the Chinese side of the mountain, told Reuters in a text message.



Cool first climbed Everest in 2004 and has since repeated the feat almost every year.



On Sunday, he was accompanied by a Sherpa, Dorji Gyaljen, who logged his 23rd climb.