admin Acclaimed British-Nepali climber Nirmal Purja, a trailblazer who summited the world’s tallest mountains, has been confirmed dead in an avalanche on Pakistan’s Broad Peak, his hiking company said on Saturday
“Today it is with profound sadness and immense heartbreak that we confirm that Nirmal ‘Nimsdai’ Purja tragically lost his life following the avalanche on Broad Peak,” his expedition organising company Elite Exped said in an Instagram post.
“We have also received confirmation that other members of the expedition sadly did not survive,” it added, without giving details.
Purja, 43, and nine others had been missing since Thursday after being struck by an avalanche on the 8,051-metre (26,414-foot) Broad Peak, the world’s 12th highest mountain, a technically difficult climb in Pakistan’s Gilgit-Baltistan region.
Purja, who served with British special forces as a Gurkha, completed the record-breaking feat in six months in 2019. He became widely known internationally after the Netflix documentary chronicling his journey “14 Peaks: Nothing Is Impossible” was released two years later.
The 10 mountaineers were caught in an avalanche around midday on Thursday. Six of the 10 climbers were Nepalis and the others were from Pakistan, Oman, the US and China.
Nepal’s Prime Minister Balendra Shah offered his condolences on Saturday over the “tragic” death of Nirmal Purja and other climbers in an avalanche in Pakistan.
“The tragic death of six Nepalese and four other foreign climbers, including world record holder Nirmal Purja, in the Karakoram mountain range of Pakistan, has shocked us,” he said in a statement on social media.
Nirmal Purja watches upon his arrival along with his team at the airport after becoming the firsts to summit Pakistan’s K2 mountain in winter. File / AFP
“The physical journey of all the deceased climbers… has been interrupted, but the history of their courage, dedication, and contributions will always remain inspiring.”
The determined climber had the 14 mountains tattooed across his back, complete with swirling clouds and Tibetan prayer flags.
His efforts were chronicled in a 2021 Netflix documentary, inspiring a new wave of climbers. However, Purja had also faced criticism for his use of guides, oxygen and fixed ropes, as well as helicopters to go from one base camp to another.
Purja made history in 2021 with the first winter ascent of the treacherous K2, the world’s second-highest peak, along with a team of nine other Nepali climbers.
Irfan Arshad, President of the Alpine Club of Pakistan, speaks during an interview with Reuters in Islamabad. Reuters
He wrote on X this week that he was close to becoming the first person to climb all 14 “super peaks” twice without oxygen. “Broad Peak, I ask for nothing but safe passage up and back down,” he wrote.
“My purpose has never been about me. It’s about what I represent. It’s about showing YOU that your own mountains — whatever they are — are climbable.”
Broad Peak, part of the Karakoram range in northern Pakistan, is the world’s 12th-highest mountain and is regarded as one of the toughest and most technical climbs of all the 8,000-metre-plus ascents.
Born in a village in western Nepal, Purja joined the Gurkhas — a brigade of Nepalis in the British army famous for their fearlessness — in his teens. He later served in the elite special forces as an extreme cold weather warfare specialist.
The adventurer told AFP in a 2019 interview that even a pair of flip-flops was a luxury for him when he was a child.
Known by the nickname “Nimsdai,” his love of mountaineering began on a trek to an Everest base camp in 2012 when he summited the 6,119-metre (20,075-foot) Lobuche.
He climbed his first “8,000er” in 2014. Two years later, when a period of leave following a deployment to Afghanistan coincided with climbing season, he made his first ascent of Everest. “If you are from Nepal, everyone asks you about Everest. So I then used my breaks for mountaineering,” he said.
Next year he was back on the mountain, leading a successful Gurkha climbing expedition and was made a member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for his work in high-altitude mountaineering. Later, he swapped his army boots for crampons, quitting the military after 16 years of service.
He then re-mortgaged his house to raise funds for his high-altitude, high-speed quest of the 14 highest peaks. Purja opened a mountain expedition company after his record-breaking feat, taking climbers up the highest peaks across the world every season.
He became a much sought-after guide after the Netflix documentary gave him global recognition. Two women mountaineers accused Purja of sexual harassment and assault in 2024, which he denied.
In the 2019 interview with AFP, Purja said he hoped his feats would inspire the next generation of Nepali climbers to break his records.
“As a Nepali, I hope my climbs put a spotlight on the talented climbers here,” he said.
Nepali guides, usually ethnic Sherpas from the valleys around Everest, are the backbone of the country’s lucrative climbing industry, but often do not get as much recognition or accolades as international climbers.
Long relegated to supporting roles, Nepali climbers began gaining recognition in their own right as Purja’s global profile shone a spotlight on their achievements. Through his foundation, Purja funded education and mountain clean-ups. He also built a porter’s house on the Everest route to provide safe housing for them. Despite several records under his belt, Purja constantly sought new adventures. “There are always (new) boundaries,” he told AFP. “(That’s) human, that’s what we do.”
Reuters / AFP
