Kathmandu , Nepal ( CNN ) -- A 52-year-old Nepalese man reached the top of Mount Everest for the 21st time on Wednesday , breaking a record he set last year for the number of ascents of the world 's tallest peak , a tourism official ministry said . Apa Sherpa first climbed Everest in 1990 while helping international expeditions climb the mountain . Since 2008 , he has been climbing Everest as part of an expedition to highlight the effects of climate change and to collect trash on the mountains . He started from Camp IV at an altitude of 7,950 meters with five other climbers on Tuesday night and reached on Wednesday morning , according to Asian Trekking , which organized the expedition . Sherpa is the climbing leader of the expedition , which collects trash such as oxygen cylinders , tent poles , tents and other mountaineering equipment from the mountain .
Apa Sherpa first climbed Mount Everest in 1990 . He has been climbing Everest as part of an expedition . The group highlights the effects of climate change .