n Australian climbed Mt. Everest Monday in the first summit wave of the season, becoming the fastest person to climb the highest mountains on all seven continents, his expedition organizer said.
Steve Plain, 36, started his seven summits bid in January and completed it in a record 117 days, said Iswari Poudel of Himalayan Guides Nepal. Plain reached the top of 8,848-meter Mt. Everest at 6 a.m.
Polish climber Janusz Kochanski previously held the record. Kochanski climbed the seven summits in 126 days.
Gyanendra Shrestha, a tourism ministry official stationed at the mountain base camp, said Chinese double leg amputee Xia Boyu also climbed the mountain Monday, becoming the second double amputee to achieve the feat.
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Over 40 mountaineers stood atop the mountain Monday morning, he said.
On Sunday, eight Nepali Sherpas stood atop Mt. Everest, marking the season's first ascent of the world's highest mountain.
The Sherpas tasked with fixing ropes and ladders to the top stood on the peak at 3:30 p.m., opening the route for mountaineers.
For this spring season, the government has issued permits for Mt. Everest to 346 climbers divided into 38 teams. Over 500 people, including Nepali Sherpa guides who don't need permits, are hoping to climb the mountain this month.
The mountain is climbed taking advantage of narrow weather windows between mid- to late May, after weeks of acclimatization at lower altitudes.
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