British climber Kenton Cool becomes first non-Sherpa to summit Everest 20 times, breaking his own record... Again!

The 52-year-old mountain guide, who lives near Cirencester in Gloucestershire with his wife and two children, first climbed the world’s highest mountain in 2004.

Since then, he has spent more than two decades guiding climbers to the top of Everest, becoming one of Britain’s most accomplished high-altitude mountaineers.

His latest summit marks a major milestone in British climbing history and gives Cool a rare long-term view of how the mountain has changed over the past 20 years.

Kenton Cool reached the summit in the early hours of Friday morning UK time, after waiting at Camp 4 for a weather window to open.

Cool said Everest today is “worlds apart” from the mountain he first climbed more than two decades ago, with commercial expeditions growing rapidly and the effects of climate change becoming increasingly visible.

“When I look back at my first climb compared to today, they are worlds apart,” he said.

“Due to disturbing amounts of glacial loss from the Khumbu glacier over the years, there is now a river running through Base Camp.

“Back in 2004 this only appeared at the end of the season, now it flows constantly.

“The changes I see every time I return leave me humbled.”

Despite having climbed Everest 20 times, Cool said the mountain never feels routine. “It never gets any easier or any less frightening,” he said.

“It’s the tallest mountain in the world and with it comes an incredible sense of majesty.

“I rely on every bit of experience I have to move safely in this environment.

“Standing on the summit for the twentieth time is incredibly special.”

Cool has guided a number of high-profile figures on expeditions around the world, including Ben Fogle and Sir Ranulph Fiennes.

He is regarded as one of the world’s leading high-altitude climbers and has also climbed the “seven summits”, the highest mountains on each of the seven traditional continents.

He is also the only Briton to have skied down two 8,000m peaks.

Beyond climbing, Cool works with several social and environmental causes linked to the Himalayas and mountain communities.

He is an ambassador for the Gurkha Welfare Trust, which supports veterans and communities in Nepal, and supports The Juniper Fund, which helps families of Sherpas who have died while working in the mountains.

His latest climb came during a busy week on Everest, with reports suggesting around 270 people reached the summit on Wednesday alone after high winds from the jet stream eased.

The summit push followed delays earlier in the season after a large serac in the Khumbu Icefall was identified as a risk because it was hanging over the proposed climbing route.

The route was delayed for more than two weeks before eventually reopening after a partial collapse of the icefall hazard.

Cool had originally been guiding a client on the mountain this year, but the climber abandoned their summit attempt after becoming unwell.

With training, preparation and permits already in place, Cool chose to remain on the mountain and attempt his 20th summit alongside his friend Dorjee Gyelzen Sherpa, who has reached the top of Everest 25 times.

Speaking before the climb, Cool said the future of Everest would require both experience and adaptation as conditions on the mountain continue to change.

He has backed proposals requiring climbers to first summit a 7,000-metre Himalayan peak before being allowed to apply for an Everest permit.

“Everest is an extraordinary mountain, but it demands respect and experience,” Cool said.

“As the mountain changes, and as more people come here, we need to make sure climbers are properly prepared.”

The achievement further extends Cool’s own record for the most Everest summits by a non-Sherpa climber.

Despite the milestone, Cool has warned there can be no room for complacency in the “death zone”, the area above 8,000 metres where the human body cannot properly sustain itself because of the lack of oxygen.

The climb also comes amid renewed debate about crowding on Everest, with the closure of the mountain’s north side and a narrow weather window contributing to pressure on fixed lines this season.

Cool’s 20th summit is not only a British sporting landmark, but a reminder of how Everest is being reshaped by climate change, commercial climbing and the growing pressures of high-altitude tourism.