KATHMANDU, Nepal — One of the greatest mountain guides will attempt to scale the world's highest peak for the 31st time — and possibly the 32nd time as well — and break his own record.
Kami Rita, 55, flew to Mount Everest on Sunday from Kathmandu to lead a group of climbers who will try to reach the 8,849-meter (29,032-foot) summit during the spring climbing season.
''I am mentally, emotionally and physically prepared to climb the mountain,'' Kami Rita told The Associated Press at Kathmandu's airport. ''I am in my top physical condition right now.''
He holds the record for the most successful ascents of Mount Everest at 30 times. In May last year he climbed the peak twice.
''My first priority is to get my client to the summit of the peak. Then I will decide on whether I will climb the peak more than one time during the season. It depends on the weather and conditions on the mountain,'' he said.
His closest competitor for the most climbs of Mount Everest is fellow Sherpa guide Pasang Dawa, who has made 27 successful ascents of the mountain.
Kami Rita first climbed Everest in 1994 and has been making the trip nearly every year since. He is one of many Sherpa guides whose expertise and skills are vital to the safety and success each year of foreign climbers aspiring to stand on top of the mountain.
His father was among the first Sherpa mountain guides. In addition to his Everest climbs, Kami Rita has scaled several other peaks that are among the world's highest, including K2, Cho Oyu, Manaslu and Lhotse.
