In Kathmandu, a British climber has broken his own record for the most ascents of Mount Everest by a non-Sherpa on Sunday. This marks his 19th climb of the world’s highest peak, according to a trekking official.

The climber, Kenton Cool, aged 51, successfully reached the 29,032-foot summit in the morning and was on his way back towards the lower camps. This achievement was confirmed by Rajan Bhattarai from the Nepali expedition company Himalayan Guides.

Fellow climbers hailed the record as “legendary.”

“His experience, charisma, and strength make him a valuable part of the Everest community,” said Adrian Ballinger of US-based Alpenglow Expeditions.

Another mountaineer, Ballinger, who has reached the summit of Everest nine times and is currently leading an expedition on the Chinese side of the mountain, praised Cool, describing him as an excellent individual to exchange stories with about their experiences spanning two decades on the mountain.

Cool first climbed Everest in 2004 and has since repeated the feat almost every year.

On Sunday, he was accompanied by a Sherpa, Dorji Gyaljen, who logged his 23rd climb.

Another Nepali Sherpa, Kami Rita, holds the record for the greatest number of ascents of Everest by any person at 30.

Cool used the Southeast Ridge route, also known as South Col, which is the standard route to the summit pioneered by New Zealander Sir Edmund Hillary and Sherpa Tenzing Norgay in 1953.

The route remains the most popular path among climbers.

Everest has been climbed by more than 8,000 people, many of them multiple times, since it was first scaled by Hillary and Norgay more than 70 years ago.

Mountain climbing is a major tourism activity and a source of income as well as employment for Nepal, home to eight of the world’s 14 tallest peaks, including Everest.

Nepal has issued 468 permits, each costing climbers $11,000, for the climbing season that ends this month.