Apa Sherpa breaking his own record once again

Nepalese climber Apa Sherpa, who holds the record for the number of times Mount Everest has been climbed, unfurls a Nepalese national flag on the summit of Mount Everest on May 11, his 21st ascent.

Apa Sherpa, called Super Sherpa by his colleagues, climbed Mount Everest for the 21st time last month, breaking his own record once again.

The mountaineer has reached the peak more than any other person but he says the climb to the top of the 8,848-metre mountain is never easy. But the feelings are still the same as his first ascent in the spring of 1990.

Mr Apa has scaled Everest every year except 1996 and 2001 since he started. But after more than 20 years of climbing, Mr Apa has declared that he is putting his mountaineering career to rest.

Unlike other mountaineering legends, Mr Apa, born as Lhakpa Tenzing, never dreamt of conquering the mountain. Mr Apa says his work is "just a profession".

"When I started climbing, it was to support my family," said Mr Apa, who is just 162cm tall, and who is called the Super Sherpa because of his extraordinary mountaineering skills.

He was born in the foothills of Everest in Thame village, and shouldered his family's responsibilities after his father's death. He opted out of school and started working as a porter. Thame is also the birthplace of Tenzing Norgay, who along with Edmund Hillary were the first men to reach the summit in 1953.

Sherpas have always played an essential role in attempts to climb Everest. They work as expedition leaders, guides, porters and cooks as they are familiar with the territory and are tailored for the mountain terrain.

"The first time I was atop Everest, it felt like heaven," Mr Apa said. But he quickly added that Everest is a mix of good, bad and ugly experiences.

Dawa Steven Sherpa, a 27-year-old two-time Everest summiteer who has been in the Everest expeditions with Mr Apa since 2008, agreed but noted that his strength and savvy also account for his success.

Ang Tshering Sherpa, the former president of the Nepal Mountaineers Association, praised Mr Apa for trying to raise awareness about the effects of the changing climate on Everest.

Since 2008, Mr Apa has been climbing as a part of the Eco Everest Expedition team that brought down 13,500kgs of rubbish and more than 400kgs of human waste from the slopes of Everest.

Mr Apa has become a brand name worldwide. "Apa has the market appeal that makes people come and join our expedition," Mr Dawa Steven said.

Mr Dawa Steven also said that Mr Apa's personal journey is a motivation for Sherpas. That journey eventually led to the United States.

"I feel very sad because I couldn't continue my education," Mr Apa said. "But I wanted a better future for my children. They can go to good schools and have better opportunities."

Apa Sherpa, Nepal's 'ambassador to the world'. puts mountaineering career to rest for the sake of his 'always worried' family, and returns to day job at factory in Salt Lake City, in the US.