British mountaineer Kenton Cool summits Everest for record 19th time

British mountaineer Kenton Cool has reached a new milestone in high-altitude climbing by successfully scaling Mount Everest for the 19th time. This impressive feat, achieved on Sunday, sets a new record for the most summits of the world's tallest mountain by a climber who is not a Sherpa. Cool, aged 51, reached the Everest summit, which stands at 8,849 meters (29,000 feet), at 11:00 local time (04:15 GMT) on Sunday morning. He was accompanied on this record-setting ascent by Nepali Sherpa Dorji Gyaljen, who logged his own 23rd climb up Everest during this expedition.

While Cool now holds the non-Sherpa record, the overall record for the most Everest summits belongs to Nepali Sherpa Kami Rita, who has reached the top 30 times and is currently on the mountain attempting to set a new record himself.

Cool's 19th summit comes during a challenging period on Everest, with reports indicating that at least two climbers died on the mountain this week.

Kenton Cool first climbed Everest in 2004 and has summited it almost yearly since. He is also known as an experienced mountain guide, having led prominent figures, such as British explorer Sir Ranulph Fiennes, on successful climbs including Everest.

Bu gönderiyi Instagram'da gör

Kenton Cool (@kentoncool)'in paylaştığı bir gönderi

Despite his record-breaking achievements, Cool has previously commented on his own summit count when compared to that of Nepali climbers. Following his 16th ascent in 2022, he noted that many Sherpas have significantly more climbs.

Ahead of his latest attempt, just four days prior, Cool shared his mindset on Instagram, stating he finally had a "positive forecast" for his summit push. He wrote about his hope for managing climber numbers safely during the ascent.

Fellow climbers have widely hailed Cool's latest achievement. American adventurer Adrian Ballinger described Cool as a "great person to share stories from two decades on the mountain," praising his "experience, charisma, and strength" and calling him a "valuable part of the Everest community." Jordanian mountaineer Mostafa Salameh, who is notably one of only 20 individuals to have climbed the highest peaks on all seven continents and reached both the North and South Poles, also offered commendation, writing, "Amazing, Kenton."

Kenton Cool's 19th Everest summit represents a significant milestone in high-altitude climbing for a non-Sherpa, achieved amidst challenging conditions and celebrated by his peers in the climbing community.