Utah man tops Mount Everest for 20th time

MOUNT EVEREST BASE CAMP, Nepal — A Utah man climbed to the top of Mount Everest for a world-record 20th time Friday.

Draper resident Apa Sherpa reached the summit just after 8 a.m. Saturday morning, or late Friday night in Utah's time zone. He summited on the same day of another record-breaking climb. Thirteen-year-old Jordan Romero became the youngest person to climb Everest (see related story at right).

Apa, who already held the world record, led the expedition to raise awareness about education opportunities in the regions around the 29,035-foot mountain, according to his blog, www.apasherpa.com.

Family, friends and fans followed his progress though his live Twitter feed and Facebook page.

After reaching the summit, Apa said he was looking forward to celebrating his accomplishment — after he got some much-needed sleep.

During the climb to the top of the world, Apa helped slower-climbing members of the expedition.

In a statement prepared before the climb, Apa said he "climbed this year to raise awareness about the Apa Sherpa Foundation, which is dedicated to increasing educational opportunities for people in the Himalayan region."

He said he also wanted to raise awareness of the damage done in the Himalayas by global climate change.

Apa, who estimates his age at about 50, was born and reared in Thame, Nepal, which sits at an elevation of 12,500 feet. He moved to Utah in 2006 to provide better educational opportunities for his three children.

Apa first reached the summit in 1990, and since then, he has reached the top every year except 1996 and 2001. This story was reported from Salt Lake City.

e-mail: jsmith@desnews.com