• Kenton Cool climbs Mount Everest for the 19th time, setting a record as a non-Sherpa.
• The climb took place on May 18, 2025, with Cool reaching the summit at 11:00 local time.
• Cool first summited Everest in 2004 and has climbed it almost annually since then.
• He was accompanied by Sherpa Dorji Gyaljen, who reached his 23rd ascent.
• This achievement comes amid a challenging climbing season, marked by fatalities.

Kenton Cool, a 51-year-old British mountaineer, made history on May 18, 2025, by achieving his 19th ascent of Mount Everest, the most for a non-Sherpa climber. Cool reached the summit at 11:00 local time and is reported to be in good health during his descent, according to Reuters and CBS News.

Born in Gloucestershire, Cool first summited Everest in 2004 and has undertaken the climb nearly every year, with gaps only in 2014, 2015, and 2020 due to fatalities and natural disasters affecting the climbing season. His latest achievement was celebrated widely in the mountaineering community. Fellow climber Adrian Ballinger remarked on Cool's invaluable presence in the Everest community, stating, "He's just a great person to share stories from two decades on the mountain," according to India Times and BBC.

Cool was accompanied on this climb by Sherpa Dorji Gyaljen, who achieved his 23rd ascent of the mountain at the same time, showcasing the essential roles Sherpas play in climbing Everest. Kami Rita, another renowned Sherpa, holds the overall record with 30 summits and is also on the mountain seeking to extend his record. The stark realities of climbing were highlighted this season, as reports indicated the deaths of climbers Subrata Ghosh and Philipp "PJ" Santiago II during the same week Cool summited, as noted by India Times and CBS News.