Kenton Cool Conquers Everest for the 19th Time: New Non‑Sherpa Record & What It Means for Future Climbers
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A Legendary 19th Date With the Roof of the World
When dawn broke over the Himalayan giants on 19 May 2025, British alpinist Kenton Cool stepped onto the 8,849 m crown of Mount Everest for the 19th time. In doing so he pushed his own record for the most summits by a non‑Sherpa even farther out of reach and reminded the climbing world why his surname feels prophetic.
How the record fell
- First summit: 2004, via the South‑Col route.
- Consistency: Nearly every spring since, Cool has guided clients or filmed projects on the mountain.
- 19th ascent: Reached the top at 11:00 NPT (05:15 BST) alongside veteran Nepali guide Dorji Gyaljen Sherpa, who logged his own 23rd summit.
While Cool’s milestone grabs headlines, he’s quick to point at the true high‑altitude legends: Sherpa climbers. Dorji’s 23 summits and Kami Rita Sherpa’s jaw‑dropping 30 (and counting) show who really own the skyline.
The season so far
Spring 2025 has been typical Everest: equal parts glory and grief. Two climbers—Subrata Ghosh (India) and Philipp “PJ” Santiago II (Philippines)—lost their lives this week, highlighting the razor‑thin line between success and tragedy above 8,000 m. A mid‑May jet‑stream lull opened a narrow “weather window” that Cool’s team threaded perfectly.
What drives Kenton Cool
At 51, the former British Army officer still trains like a professional athlete:
- VO₂‑max work on a NordicTrack in an altitude tent.
- Heavy carries up Snowdon and the Eiger to mimic load‑hauling above the Khumbu Icefall.
- Mindset: daily cold‑water dips and meditation to keep decision‑making sharp when brain‑fog sets in at “the death zone.”
Cool also credits a decade of collaboration with sports scientists who fine‑tuned his acclimatisation schedule: climb high, sleep low, hydrate aggressively. The result? Faster recoveries and fewer days exposed to avalanche and serac risk.
Why this matters for future climbers
- Guiding standards: Cool’s data‑driven approach could become the template for commercial expeditions.
- Climate signals: Each season he photographs the upper Khumbu Glacier; his images show a worrying acceleration of ice loss.
- Inspiration: From school assemblies in the UK to online Q&As, Cool’s message is simple—dreams feel impossible right up until you take the first deliberate step.
What’s next?
Kenton hints his 20th could be “a quiet one” in 2026, perhaps guiding adaptive athletes or a scientific team installing high‑altitude meteorological stations. Whatever the objective, you can bet he’ll bring equal parts humour, humility, and hard‑earned wisdom to the task.
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