India, May 19 -- British mountaineer Kenton Cool has climbed Mount Everest for the 19th time, setting a new record for the highest number of ascents by a non-Sherpa. The 51-year-old reached the summit of the 8,849-metre (29,000-feet) peak on Sunday at 11:00am local time (04:15 GMT), alongside Nepali Sherpa Dorji Gyaljen.

Cool first summited Everest in 2004 and has returned to the mountain nearly every year since. His climbing partner, Gyaljen, also achieved a milestone with his 23rd successful ascent of Everest.

The overall record for the most Everest summits is held by Nepali Sherpa Kami Rita, who has reached the top 30 times and is currently on the mountain attempting to extend his record further.

Cool's achievement comes during a gr...