How a climber who was told he would never walk again conquered Everest twenty times

Countries & Cities · Published 15 October 2026 · Updated 25 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: After a devastating fall shattered his heels in 1996, doctors predicted Kenton Cool would rely on a cane for life. Instead, he defied the prognosis to become the most successful non-Nepali climber in history, reaching the summit of Mount Everest twenty times and pioneering feats once considered physically impossible.

Born in Slough in 1973, Kenton Cool discovered mountaineering through the Scouts before honing his skills at the University of Leeds. His path to elite status was nearly derailed in 1996 by a severe climbing accident near the Llanberis Pass in Wales. The resulting calcaneal fractures in both heels left him facing a grim medical outlook, but a year of intensive recovery fueled his determination to return to the mountains. He eventually joined the British Association of Mountain Guides, transitioning from industrial rope work on structures like the Millennium Dome to becoming a world-class expedition leader.

Cool is perhaps best known for his extraordinary endurance and technical skill in the Greater Ranges. In 2013, he achieved the Everest Triple Crown, completing a continuous traverse of Nuptse, Everest, and Lhotse without returning to base camp—a feat previously dismissed by many as impossible due to the extreme physiological strain of prolonged high-altitude exposure. Beyond his personal records, he has frequently guided high-profile clients, including a successful 2009 Everest ascent with Sir Ranulph Fiennes, which helped raise millions for charity. His work often bridges the gap between extreme sport and public engagement, featuring in documentaries like BBC's Everest ER.

His relationship with Everest is defined by both consistency and symbolic gestures. In 2012, he fulfilled an 88-year-old Olympic pledge by carrying a 1924 gold medal to the summit, an act recognized by Lord Coe as a catalyst for the 2012 Olympic Games. By May 2026, Cool had reached the summit twenty times, a record for any non-Nepali climber. Despite the inherent dangers of his profession, Cool maintains a grounded perspective on his mortality, famously expressing a desire to eventually trade the high-altitude risks of the Himalayas for a quiet life at home, eventually passing away in his nineties with a glass of wine by the fire.

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