British mountaineer sets record 19th Everest summit
British mountaineer Kenton Cool has scaled Mount Everest for the 19th time, breaking his own record for the most climbs up the world's tallest mountain for a non-sherpa.
The 51-year-old, who was accompanied by Nepali sherpa Dorji Gyaljen, reached the 8,849m (29,000ft) high summit at 11:00 local time (04:15 GMT) on Sunday.
Mr Cool first climbed Everest in 2004 and has summited it almost yearly since.
Mr Gyaljen logged his 23rd climb up Everest. Another Nepali sherpa, Kami Rita, holds the record for making the most number of Everest summits at 30, and is also currently on the mountain attempting to set a new record.
Mr Cool's record-setting feat comes after at least two climbers - Subrata Ghosh from India and Philipp "PJ" Santiago II from the Philippines - died on Mount Everest this week.
After his 16th Everest ascent in 2022, Mr Cool appeared to play down his record, noting that many Nepali climbers have surpassed it.
"I'm really surprised by the interest... considering that so many of the sherpas have so many more ascents," he told AFP in an interview then.
Four days before the latest feat, Mr Cool told his Instagram followers that he "finally [had] a positive forecast" that will allow him to go ahead with the attempt.
"Let's hope that we manage to thread the needle with regard to numbers of climbers and we have a safe and enjoyable time up high," he wrote.
Fellow climbers hailed the achievement.
Mr Cool is a "great person to share stories from two decades on the mountain", American adventurer Adrian Ballinger told Reuters news agency.
"His experience, charisma, and strength make him a valuable part of the Everest community," says Mr Ballinger, who is currently guiding a team up Everest.
"Amazing, Kenton," wrote Jordanian mountaineer Mostafa Salameh, who is one of only 20 people to complete the climb the highest mountains on all seven continents and conquer the North and South Poles.
Mr Cool is also a mountain guide who has lead British explorer Sir Ranulph Fiennes, among others, on several notable climbs including Everest.
A Himalayan river may be making Everest taller
Climbing Everest? You need to bring your poo back
Deadly Everest season puts focus on record permits
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Times
an hour ago
- New York Times
Want More Excitement From the N.B.A.? Try the Korean Broadcast.
Game 1 of this year's N.B.A. finals had a spectacular finish, with the Indiana Pacers completing a 15-point comeback over the Oklahoma City Thunder to stun the crowd in Oklahoma City. The victory was punctuated by a near-miraculous buzzer beater by Tyrese Haliburton of the Pacers, who drained the winning shot with only 0.3 seconds left on the clock. It was a thrilling moment for any basketball fan. But few reacted with as much fervor as Myung-jung Kim and Se-woon Park. 'Amazing, Indiana, don't call a timeout!' Mr. Kim and Mr. Park, sportscasters and analysts for South Korea's SPOTV, had exclaimed in Korean just ahead of the shot as Indiana grabbed a rebound and began to move the ball upcourt. 'Indiana, an underdog, faces a familiar situation — WAAAAAAAA! HALIBURTON! WOW!' A post shared by NBA (@nba) Their over-the-top reaction the moment the shot went in, which culminated in full-blown screeching and wailing, was shared widely across social media in the hours after Indiana's win. American fans shared clips of the rhapsodic call, and the N.B.A. posted an excerpt on Instagram. Commenters were quick to cite the passion and emotion of the South Korean announcers, with several saying the clip gets better with repeated listens. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
New York Times
an hour ago
- New York Times
Sumba Is Not Bali. That Is the Point.
After a motorbike ride down an empty road, my daughter and I found ourselves jumping off a high wooden platform into a deep lagoon with salt-white sand, healthy coral — and no one else around. As the Indian Ocean splashed, we swam, jumped again and laughed. We lost track of time. Maybe we were just lucky. The platform had to have been built by someone, for the fun of many. But it was neither the first nor last time that we felt practically alone in Sumba. Sumba, one of Indonesia's easternmost islands, is just an hour's flight from Bali. But Sumba is as quiet as Bali is thumping. There are no digital nomads, DJ parties or drones at sunset. The island is twice the size of Bali with one-fifth the population. The airport is a walk-across-the-tarmac affair with one baggage carousel and, on the 40-minute drive to our hotel, we saw maybe a dozen people. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Yahoo
7 hours ago
- Yahoo
Jetstar Asia to cease operations from July 31, over 500 employees in Singapore affected
SINGAPORE - Singapore-based low-cost airline Jetstar Asia will cease operations on July 31 as part of a 'strategic restructure' by its parent company, Australian flag carrier Qantas. More than 500 employees in Singapore will be laid off due to the closure, with the airline assuring that it will offer a range of support, including retrenchment benefits and employment opportunities, either within the Qantas Group or elsewhere. Jetstar Asia said in a statement on June 11 that it will continue to operate flights out of Singapore for the next seven weeks with a progressively reduced schedule until its final day of operations on July 31. Qantas said 16 intra-Asia routes will be impacted by the closure of Jetstar Asia, with no changes to Jetstar Airways (JQ) and Jetstar Japan (GK) services into Asia. Jetstar Airways' international services in and out of Australia will also remain unchanged. Jetstar Asia customers with bookings that are impacted by the announcement will be contacted directly, with the option of a full cash refund or an alternative flight where possible. The carrier, which operates out of Changi Airport Terminal 4, has set up a dedicated webpage with information for its customers, and its Travel Alert page will be regularly updated with the latest advice. Jetstar Asia said the decision to cease operations comes amid escalating supplier costs, airport fees and aviation charges in recent years, as well as growing capacity and competition in the region. The budget carrier is expected to post a loss of A$35 million (S$29.3 million) before interest and taxes this financial year, prior to the decision to shut down. Qantas chief Vanessa Hudson said some supplier costs have risen by up to 200 per cent. Jetstar Asia foresees the rising costs to continue in the future, putting 'unsustainable pressure' on the airline's ability to offer low fares, which it said is fundamental to its business model. Jetstar Asia chief executive John Simeone said: 'Unfortunately, despite our best efforts, the market conditions have ultimately impacted our ability to continue to offer the everyday low fares that are our DNA.' The Singapore Manual & Mercantile Workers' Union (SMMWU) said it has worked closely with Jetstar Asia's management to ensure affected workers receive fair compensation. SMMWU secretary-general Andy Lim said the union will support employees by providing job placement assistance and career advisory services across various industries, and financial aid, where necessary. Changi Airport Group (CAG) said it is disappointed by Jetstar Asia's decision to exit the Singapore market, but respects the carrier's commercial considerations. 'Our immediate priority is to ensure passengers are well-supported and to minimise disruption during the transition period,' the airport operator said in a statement. Jetstar Asia operates about 180 weekly services at the airport, and carried about 2.3 million passengers in 2024, accounting for about 3 per cent of Changi's total traffic. Of the 16 routes affected by Jetstar Asia's closure, 12 are served by 18 other airlines offering more than 1,000 weekly services, CAG said. 'We will monitor the routes affected by Jetstar Asia's exit, and where additional capacity is needed, we will actively engage other airlines to fill the gap,' it added. CAG will also work to restore connectivity to the four destinations served exclusively by the budget carrier from Changi. They are Broome in Australia, Labuan Bajo in Indonesia, Okinawa in Japan and Wuxi in China. 'CAG values its partnership with the Qantas Group and will continue to collaborate with Qantas and Jetstar Airways to support their growth and presence at Changi Airport,' it added. The Qantas Group will provide support for Jetstar Asia to continue to meet its obligations while operations wind down. 'Jetstar Asia has been part of the Jetstar family for more than 20 years and this is an incredibly difficult and sad day for our people, our customers and the entire Jetstar Group,' said Jetstar Group chief executive Stephanie Tully. Following the airline's closure, its 13 aircraft will be progressively redeployed across the Qantas Group to support fleet renewal and growth in the Australia and New Zealand businesses in line with underlying demand. Tell us if you are affected. E-mail us at stnewsdesk@ Source: The Straits Times © SPH Media Limited. Permission required for reproduction Discover how to enjoy other premium articles here
