Oops, I meant to post this in the Cantina. Maybe a moderator can move it there?
Kami Rita Sherpa, a renowned Nepali mountain guide, completed his 31st climb of Mount Everest on Tuesday, breaking his own record for the most successful trips to the mountain’s peak.
For more than 30 years, Mr. Rita, 55, has helped climbers from all over the world reach the top of the mountain. The New York Times spoke to him about his long career on Wednesday in Kathmandu, hours after his record-breaking climb.
He spoke about the recent surge in luxury expeditions, the use of xenon gas for climbs and how climate change is radically altering the future of the mountain. This conversation has been condensed and edited for clarity.
Congratulations on your 31st climb. How are you feeling?
I’m proud of this achievement. As a guide, I fulfilled the long-cherished dreams of climbers to stand atop the world’s highest point. I’m happy that I fulfilled their dreams this year as well.
This climb was a bit difficult because of harsh weather conditions. In my experience, over the last two or three years, climbing the mountain has become more difficult.
How so?
Changes are visible in the entire mountain region, not just Everest. It’s because of climate change. Snow is melting faster than expected, and that has made climbing more difficult and riskier.
In the early days, at Camp II [a higher elevation on the mountain], we could walk over ice until the first week of June. We never saw streams coming down from that area. But on Tuesday, one of our fellow guides drowned because melting ice created a stream there. It was up to my waist.
What I fear is that, if this continues at the same rate, there will be no snow on the mountains in the next 10 to 15 years....
Kami Rita Sherpa, a renowned Nepali mountain guide, completed his 31st climb of Mount Everest on Tuesday, breaking his own record for the most successful trips to the mountain’s peak.
For more than 30 years, Mr. Rita, 55, has helped climbers from all over the world reach the top of the mountain. The New York Times spoke to him about his long career on Wednesday in Kathmandu, hours after his record-breaking climb.
He spoke about the recent surge in luxury expeditions, the use of xenon gas for climbs and how climate change is radically altering the future of the mountain. This conversation has been condensed and edited for clarity.
Congratulations on your 31st climb. How are you feeling?
I’m proud of this achievement. As a guide, I fulfilled the long-cherished dreams of climbers to stand atop the world’s highest point. I’m happy that I fulfilled their dreams this year as well.
This climb was a bit difficult because of harsh weather conditions. In my experience, over the last two or three years, climbing the mountain has become more difficult.
How so?
Changes are visible in the entire mountain region, not just Everest. It’s because of climate change. Snow is melting faster than expected, and that has made climbing more difficult and riskier.
In the early days, at Camp II [a higher elevation on the mountain], we could walk over ice until the first week of June. We never saw streams coming down from that area. But on Tuesday, one of our fellow guides drowned because melting ice created a stream there. It was up to my waist.
What I fear is that, if this continues at the same rate, there will be no snow on the mountains in the next 10 to 15 years....
