May 18: Record-holder mountaineer Kamirita Sherpa successfully climbed Mt Everest (Sagarmatha) for a record 27th time on Wednesday. This makes him the only person to climb Everest for 27 times.

 The 53-year-old mountaineer stood atop the highest mountain in the world on Wednesday morning at 8:30 am, Director of the Department of Tourism Yuwaraj Khatiwada told RSS.    
Sherpa, who is originally a resident of Thame in Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality in Solukhumbu district and is currently residing in Kathmandu, broke his own record of climbing the 8,848.86 metres mountain and thereby creating a new one.    
Khatiwada shared that the expedition is going on in full swing but the number of climbers making it to the top of the Mt Everest could not be ascertained owing to lack of communications with the climbers pushing towards the summit.    
Imagine Nepal Treks and Expedition Company's Director Mingma Gyalzen Sherpa informed RSS that over 100 mountaineers including Kamirita have climbed Mt Everest so far this spring while as many were on a summit push bid.    
"Kamirita latest ascent has spread a message to the world that the mountaineering sector of Nepal is safe," asserted Khatiwada.

Kamirita, who first set his feet atop the Everest on May 13, 1994, has climbed many mountains over 8,000 metres at home and abroad for over 39 times till date.    
Meanwhile, Pasang Dawa Sherpa is hot on the heels of Kamirita and ascended Everest for the 26th time this spring.    
A record number of climbers are attempting to scale the Mt Everest this spring as Nepal issued the highest number of climbing permits in history for Everest this season since the first successful ascent of the Everest on May 29, 1953.    
The Department issued 478 permits for 44 groups this season.