MOUNTAINEERING -- On Tuesday, Brent Okita, a professional mountain guide, became the second person to reach the summit of Mount Rainier 500 times, according to a release from RMI Expeditions (RMI).

Climbing to the summit at 14,410-feet required Okita, 55, to log more than 9 million vertical feet of elevation gain and loss over about 9,000 miles of hiking on Washington's highest peak throughout his 30-year career.

The numbers don’t include the dozens of times he had to turn around short of the summit because of poor weather or other hazards.

In 2010, George Dunn of International Mountain Guides based in Ashford became the first mountaineer to hit the 500-times mark for climbing Rainier. He was 56 at the time and was still leading the two- or three-day endurance tests. He holds the record of 515 Rainier summits, a mark Okita could eclipse this season.

Okita has also reached the summit of Mount Everest via the North Side and led more than two dozen RMI guided parties up 20,310-foot Denali in Alaska, the highest mountain in North America.

Other ascents to his credit include Vinson Massif in Antarctica, and several expeditions to the French Swiss, and Italian Alps, including Mont Blanc, Matterhorn, Monte Rosa and Jungfrau.

RMI says setting records has not Okita’s motivation:

His 500 summits of Mount Rainier are a natural consequence of his tenure with RMI and dedication to the sport of mountaineering. With no thoughts of retirement, Brent plans to continue guiding climbers on Rainier and Denali for the foreseeable future. In the winter months he pursues his love of skiing, working for Crystal Mountain Ski Patrol. He and wife, Julie, make their home in Enumclaw, Washington, where they enjoy bicycling and hiking.