Kathmandu, May 21: Babu Chhiri Sherpa, nine time Everest summitter and holder of the world record for camping on top of the Third Pole for 21 hours last year, has added yet another feather to his much-envied mountaineering cap.

Babu Chhiri, 34, climbed Mount Everest for the 10th time today in less than 16 hours, thereby setting a new record for the fastest climb of the world’s highest summit, the organiser 
and sponsor of this expedition, the Gorkha Airlines said 
Sunday.

Chhiri scaled the 29,039 feet (8,850 meters) peak today in 15 hours and 56 minutes. He broke the previous record of 20 hours and 20 minutes set two years ago by another Nepalese Everest  summitter, Kaji Sherpa.

He climbed from the base camp at 17,500 feet (5,300 meters), according to his sponsor and organiser, the Gorkha Airlines.

He performed this latest feat without the help of oxygen cylinders.

For Chhiri, breaking world mountaineering records is like taking a cup of tea. He has already made it to the Guinness Book of World Record for spending the longest period of time—21 hours—on top of Mt Everest last year.

With today’s climb, it will be Chhiri’s 10th successful ascent of Mt. Everest, equaling the mountaineering achievements of Ang Rita Sherpa and Appa Sherpa who, between them, are the only two mountaineers of the world to trampled the snows on top of Mt. Everest for 10 times each.

It is also learnt that two Canadians, Byron Smith, 40, a car salesman from Alberta, and Michael Down, 43, a mountain guide from British Colombia, also scaled Mt. Everest today, two hours before Chhiri set his new record.

The organiser and sponsor, Gorkha Airlines, has informed that Chhiri will be  given a rousing welcome both at Lukla and Kathmandu as soon as he arrives here.

Gorkha Airlines also informed that it is arranging a special flight to Lukla to pick up Chhiri and his accompanying Sherpas to bring them to Kathmandu. Chhiri and his team had left for Everest Base Camp via Lukla by Gorkha Airlines flight on March 30.