Kenton Cool Reaches 20th Everest Summit as 2 Indian Climbers Die, Season Toll Hits 5
Updated
Updated · Reuters · May 22
Kenton Cool Reaches 20th Everest Summit as 2 Indian Climbers Die, Season Toll Hits 5
11 articles · Updated · Reuters · May 22
Kenton Cool, 52, reached Everest’s 8,849-meter summit before dawn Friday and was descending to lower camps after extending his non-Sherpa record to 20 ascents.
Two Indian climbers who had summited on Thursday died during descent—one at Camp II and one near the Hillary Step in the oxygen-starved “death zone,” according to their expedition organizer.
The season’s death toll on Everest rose to five, and organizers said one body remained at very high altitude while recovery efforts continued for the other from Camp II.
Cool first climbed Everest in 2004 and has returned almost every year since, while the overall summit record remains with Nepali Sherpa Kami Rita at 32.
With stricter 2026 rules now active, why is this Everest season seeing record crowds and multiple fatalities?
As records are broken, has the commercial race to summit Everest made tragic deaths an acceptable cost?