Mountaineer enters Guinness World Record for climbing Everest 21 times

New Delhi, Feb 28 (ANI): Nepal's mountaineering legend Appa Sherpa, who has climbed Mount Everest 21 times, was awarded with the Guinness World Record (GWR) on Monday.

GWR officials, who were in Kathmandu since Saturday, took the opportunity of their arrival in Nepal to honour Sherpa with the GWR award.

The 52-year-old, who started to climb the mountains as a porter, holds the record as the only man in the world to ascend the Everest - locally known as Mount Qomolangma - 21 times, English.news.cn reported.

Craig Glenday, editor-in-chief of the GWR, hailed Appa Sherpa as "a hero of the world".

"It is an honor and a great privilege to hand over the certificate to Sherpa as he has proved that how much a person can do," Glenday said.

While receiving the award, Sherpa expressed his happiness and praised the GWR officers for being together with him for the past 10 years.

"I am honored to receive this award from the chief of the GWR," Sherpa said.

He also said that he will encourage a younger generation to follow his footsteps for the nation's sake.

Sherpa, with his other three colleagues, is on another mission of trekking on the "Great Himalayan Trail"- a 120 day trek - for the purpose of enhancing awareness about the impacts of climate change on the Himalayas.

The total length of the trek is 1,700 km from East to West of Nepal and will take approximately 120 days to complete. (ANI)