"Kami Rita Sherpa reached the summit of Everest for the second time (in a week) this morning. This is his 28th time" in total, Thaneshwor Guragain, of Seven Summit Treks, told AFP.

The day before, Nepalese Pasang Dawa Sherpa, 46, had equalled Kami Rita Sherpa's previous record, set last week, by reaching the summit of Everest (8,849m) for the 27th time.

The two climbers have each climbed the "Roof of the World" twice this season, captivating the mountaineering community.

A mountain guide for more than 20 years, Kami Rita Sherpa first climbed Mount Everest in 1994, working for a commercial expedition.

Everest © / AFP

Since then, this seasoned climber has climbed Everest almost every year, including leading the first climbing team to open the access route to the summit.

Nepal is home to eight of the world's ten highest peaks, including Mount Everest, and hosts hundreds of climbers each season, when temperatures are milder and winds generally weaker.

For the 2023 mountaineering season, which ends in early June, Nepal has issued 478 permits to foreign mountaineers to climb Mount Everest.

And already more than 500 climbers, including Nepalese guides, have undertaken its ascent, according to the Ministry of Tourism on Tuesday.

With most foreign climbers usually accompanied by a guide, more than 900 people are expected to climb Everest during the season, a record.

The Himalayan range seen from the summit of Everest, May 31, 2021 in Nepal © Lakpa SHERPA / AFP / Archives

But ten climbers, including four Nepalese, died on the world's highest mountain during the season.

The mountaineering industry in the Himalayas relies on the experience of Sherpas, usually from the valleys of Everest.

They pay a heavy price to accompany hundreds of mountaineers every year. A third of the dead in Everest are Nepalese climbers.

© 2023 AFP