Mountain guide climbed Mount Everest for the 30th time

The 54-year-old is modest: “It was never about the records for me. It’s just the way I feed my family.” For him, mountain climbing is just a job. Kami Rita Sherpa lives in the Himalayas and, like many, comes from a family of mountain guides. At the age of 24, he climbed Mount Everest for the first time. “There were few expeditions and we Sherpas had to prove ourselves with hard work before we could be hired as mountain guides,” the Nepalese remembers.

At that time, only experienced alpinists with a few Sherpas tackled bumpy trails. Nowadays, however, extreme sports are big business. More and more expedition companies are offering all-inclusive trips to Mount Everest, which cost between 50,000 and 100,000 euros per person. “You can land directly at the base camp by helicopter and order any dish you would get in a five-star hotel in the capital Kathamandu,” said Kami Rita Sherpa. At the base camp there is comfortable accommodation, internet connection and medical care.

Expedition takes approximately 45 days
The expeditions last an average of 45 days including travel and acclimatization, which is half as long as when Kami Rita Sherpa started working. With support, 300 to 400 foreigners reach the highest mountain in the world every year. So far, about the same number have died on Mount Everest, more than a third of them Sherpas.

Although their work is not as hard these days, many Sherpas are now looking for alternative jobs so as not to risk their lives. The benefit amounts to around 3,000 to over 1,000 euros – depending on experience – per season. Kami Rita Sherpa wants to climb Mount Everest as long as his health allows it. However, he advises his children to take another job.