31 Summits And New Rules: The Untold Story Of Sherpa People On Mount Everest In 2025

The Sherpa people are the undisputed backbone of every successful expedition on Mount Everest, a reality that remains profoundly true as the 2025 climbing season unfolds. Their role transcends mere guiding; they are high-altitude workers, logistics experts, spiritual guardians, and the essential link between a climber’s ambition and the mountain’s unforgiving summit. This year, the focus is not just on the foreign climbers, but on the Sherpa community itself, which continues to break records while facing increasing ethical and physical challenges on the world’s highest peak.

As of late 2025, the narrative of Everest is dominated by the awe-inspiring achievements of individual Sherpas and a growing debate about the sustainability and ethics of the commercial climbing industry. The mountain, known to the Sherpa as Chomolungma ("Goddess Mother of the World"), demands respect, and it is the Sherpa people who pay the highest price for the world's fascination with its summit. The latest news brings both celebration of new records and a renewed look at the dangers these indispensable mountaineers face.

Record Breakers: Kami Rita Sherpa and Lhakpa Sherpa’s Unbreakable Legacy

The 2024 and 2025 climbing seasons solidified the legendary status of several Sherpa mountaineers, demonstrating a level of endurance and skill that is unmatched globally. Their achievements are not just personal milestones but a powerful statement about the Sherpa’s innate connection to the Himalayan peaks.

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Kami Rita Sherpa: The Man with 31 Summits

Kami Rita Sherpa, known affectionately as the "Everest Man," is the most prominent figure in modern mountaineering. His biography is a testament to a life spent in the Death Zone:

• Full Name: Kami Rita Sherpa
• Born: 1970, Thame, Solukhumbu, Nepal (Khumbu region)
• Current Record (as of late 2025): 31 successful summits of Mount Everest.
• First Summit: 1994, as a high-altitude worker supporting a commercial expedition.
• Primary Role: Senior Climbing Guide and Expedition Leader.
• Other Notable Climbs: Summits of K2, Cho Oyu, Lhotse, and Manaslu.
• Significance: He continually breaks his own world record, highlighting the immense physical and mental toll of repeated high-altitude exposure. His 31st summit, achieved in the 2025 season, further extended his lead over all other climbers.

Lhakpa Sherpa: The Unparalleled Woman of Everest

Lhakpa Sherpa holds a record that is equally significant, challenging the historical male dominance in high-altitude mountaineering:

• Full Name: Lhakpa Sherpa
• Born: Makalu, Nepal
• Current Record (as of 2025): 10 successful summits of Mount Everest.
• Significance: She holds the world record for the most Everest summits by a woman.
• Personal Story: Despite holding a world record, her life has been marked by significant personal and financial struggles, often working as a dishwasher in the US during the off-season, which underscores the economic precarity faced by many Sherpa climbers.

The Invisible Heroes: The Critical Role of High-Altitude Workers

The success of the hundreds of climbers who attempt Everest each year rests entirely on the shoulders of the Sherpa people. They are the essential infrastructure, performing the most dangerous, thankless, and crucial tasks on the mountain.

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The Icefall Doctors: Navigating the Khumbu Icefall

The Khumbu Icefall is arguably the most dangerous section of the entire Everest climb. It is a constantly shifting glacier of massive seracs and deep crevasses. The team responsible for making this passage possible are the "Icefall Doctors," a specialized group of Sherpa high-altitude workers.

Every year, before the climbing season officially begins, the Icefall Doctors spend weeks fixing ropes, installing aluminum ladders across crevasses, and establishing a safe, albeit temporary, route from Everest Base Camp (EBC) to Camp I. This work is performed without the safety nets of established camps, making it one of the most perilous jobs in the world. They are paid by the Sagarmatha Pollution Control Committee (SPCC) and are the first to enter the Icefall each morning to check the route for new collapses or shifts.

Beyond the Summit: The Logistics of an Expedition

The typical Sherpa guide's duties are exhaustive and vital for the safety of foreign clients:

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• Route Setting: Fixing thousands of feet of rope on the Lhotse Face and up to the summit.
• Logistics and Carrying: Hauling essential supplies, including tents, food, and, most critically, oxygen bottles, to the high camps (Camp I, II, III, and IV). A single Sherpa might carry loads exceeding 50 pounds through the Death Zone.
• Client Safety: Guiding clients, often physically pulling them up difficult sections, and performing nearly all high-altitude rescues.
• Spiritual Role: Conducting the traditional Buddhist "Lapsu Puja" ceremony to ask the mountain for safe passage before the climb begins.

The Ethical Tightrope: Commodification and New Challenges in 2025

Despite their critical role and record-breaking achievements, the Sherpa community faces ongoing ethical and economic challenges, a topic that has gained significant attention in the 2025 climbing season.

The Ethics of Risk and Reward

The reality is that Sherpa workers face disproportionately higher risks than their foreign clients. Statistics show that the majority of deaths on Everest are high-altitude workers. The 2014 Khumbu Icefall avalanche, which killed 16 Sherpa high-altitude workers, remains a grim reminder of this danger. While a single client pays tens of thousands of dollars for a permit and support, the Sherpa guides, while earning good wages by Nepali standards, are constantly exposed to danger for their livelihood. This has led to discussions about the "commodification" of the Sherpa people, where their unique physiology and cultural wisdom are treated as a disposable resource for the mountaineering industry.

The Impact of Crowds and New Regulations

The 2025 season saw a high number of climbing permits issued by the Nepali government, leading to concerns about overcrowding on the mountain. More climbers mean more work for the Sherpa, but also increased risk of bottlenecks and delays in the Death Zone, making their job even more precarious.

In response to environmental and safety concerns, new regulations have been discussed, including mandatory "poop bags" to manage human waste on the mountain, a logistical issue that inevitably falls to the Sherpa teams to manage and implement. Furthermore, the rise of drone technology, which was tested on Everest in 2024, presents a potential shift in rescue and logistics, though the Sherpa's physical presence remains irreplaceable.

Ultimately, the Sherpa people are more than just guides; they are the conscience of Mount Everest. Their continued excellence, highlighted by the latest records of Kami Rita Sherpa and Lhakpa Sherpa, is a powerful reminder that while the mountain is a global stage for adventure, it is the local community’s courage, skill, and sacrifice that truly defines the Everest experience.