From Recovery to Record-Breaker: Scaling Everest 20 Times

Born and raised in a bungalow in Slough, Berkshire, the climber’s early life was defined by the outdoors, fostered by a father who served as a scout leader. This childhood spent building dens and exploring nature eventually led to his first experiences with rock climbing at age 17, when a school friend introduced him to a local climbing wall. He quickly became captivated by the physical demands and technical puzzles of the sport, soon graduating to outdoor adventures on the south coast of Dorset and later in the Peak District. And I was always outside, building dams and dens, sleeping out and hiding in trees, my father was a scout leader. I loved the physicality of it and trying to work out where to put my hands and feet next. The waves were crashing and it felt scary and exhilarating. Over the next decade, I spent half my year working in ski and climbing shops, and the other half climbing across Europe, New Zealand and Asia.

Following his A-levels, he traveled to Chamonix for a five-week stint in the Alps, marking the beginning of a life-long pursuit of mountaineering. After earning a geology degree at the University of Leeds, he joined the university’s climbing club and organized a trip to Pakistan, a pivotal moment that solidified his passion for Himalayan mountaineering and his profound connection with local communities. We caught a bus to Chamonix, in the Alps, for five weeks of camping; we climbed Mont Blanc and made stupid mistakes like starting too late in the day, after A-levels. So organised a trip to Pakistan, i wanted to see the Himalayas.

A major turning point occurred in 1996 when a fall from a rock face shattered both of his heel bones. Doctors provided a grim prognosis, stating he would not be able to walk again without assistance. However, after three months in a wheelchair and multiple surgeries, he defied expectations, returning to climb and ski on some of the highest peaks in the world. His professional growth culminated in 2003, when he helped establish a trail on the 7,555-metre Annapurna III, an achievement that earned him a nomination for a Piolet d’Or, often considered the Oscars of the climbing world. Shattering both heel bones, and was told I wouldn’t walk again unaided, in 1996 I fell from a rock face. A group of us took on harder and higher routes and were nominated for a Piolet d’Or – the Oscars of the climbing world – after establishing a trail on Annapurna III, a 7,555-metre peak in Nepal, in 2003.

This success attracted the attention of a Sheffield-based adventure firm, which invited him to guide a two-person expedition to Everest. Despite being an experienced climber, it was his first time at high altitude or working at 8,000 metres. He successfully completed that first ascent, relying on the expertise of local Sherpas, and went on to complete three more for the company before launching his own guiding business in 2006. Since then, he has dedicated himself to guiding one client per year, a process involving up to three years of intensive preparation. In my teens, family holidays were two weeks in Wales.

In May 2026, the climber reached a significant milestone by completing his 20th summit of Mount Everest. His journey has been marked by extreme challenges, including a dangerous oxygen delivery failure, as well as profound, beautiful moments. In 2017, he experienced a rare, windless, and warm summit day entirely to himself. He also looked back on his 2013 ascent of the neighbouring peak, Nuptse, where he stood at 7,900 metres and reflected on his long history of mountaineering. No wind and just the right amount of snow, the best was in 2017: we had summit day to ourselves – warm.

Despite his accomplishments, he remains deeply aware of the mountain’s volatility. He recalled the difficult experience of finding a dying climber in 2013, as well as the grim task of moving a deceased Sherpa from the fixed line ropes. He stresses that the mountain does not discriminate between a veteran of 20 climbs and a novice; the danger is constant for everyone.

By 2022, following his 16th ascent, he secured the record for the most Everest summits achieved by a non-Sherpa.

While he acknowledges that Kami Rita Sherpa maintains the broader record for the most summits, he maintains that his own achievements were never about statistics, but about the experiences and the people he has encountered. He credits his success and personal growth to the Sherpas and locals who supported him throughout his career, viewing the mountain merely as the medium for those connections. He intends to continue climbing for the foreseeable future, feeling deeply humbled by his relationship with the peak. But it was fabulous, it was a huge learning curve.