May 27, 2003	Tuesday	Rabi-ul-Awwal 24,1424

KATHMANDU, May 26: Two Nepalese Sherpas set new Everest records Monday — for the fastest time to the top and by reaching the peak for the 13th time, Nepal’s tourist ministry said.

Appa Sherpa, 42, reached the top of the world’s highest mountain at 3:41 am (2156 GMT Sunday) to break his own record of 12 ascents, it said.

Already a legend, Appa has been to the top almost every year since 1990, doing the arduous trip twice in 1992.

Sherpa Lhakpa Gela, 36, clipped almost two hours off the Everest speed climbing record that was set just three days ago, reaching the summit from Base Camp in a time of 10 hours 56 minutes and 46 seconds, it said.

Lhakpa, making his tenth ascent of the world’s highest peak, set out at 5:00 pm Sunday (1115 GMT) and reached the summit at 3:56 am Monday, with the entire climb taking place in darkness.

He descended to reach base camp safely at 11:20 am, the statement said.

On Friday, Pemba Dorje Sherpa, 25, smashed the previous record set in 2000 of 16 hours 56 minutes by the legendary Sherpa Babu Chhiri, when he reached the summit in a time of 12 hours 45 minutes.—AFP