Renowned Nepalese mountaineer Nirmal Purja, whose record-breaking ascent of the world’s 14 highest peaks earned him global recognition, has died after being caught in an avalanche while climbing Broad Peak in Pakistan’s Karakoram range.
His mountaineering company, Elite Expedition, confirmed his death on Saturday.
Purja was attempting to summit the 8,051-metre Broad Peak on July 30 when an avalanche struck at an altitude of around 7,000 metres.
Following the incident, 10 climbers, including Purja, were reported missing. The missing group included six Nepalese mountaineers.
Record-breaking mountaineer
Known as “Nims Dai” in the mountaineering community, Purja rose to international prominence in 2019 after launching Project Possible, an ambitious mission to climb all 14 mountains above 8,000 metres within seven months.
The feat was widely regarded as nearly impossible, but Purja completed it in just six months and six days, breaking the nearly eight-year-old world record set by South Korean mountaineer Kim Chang-ho.
He also became the first climber to summit Mount Everest, Lhotse and Makalu within 48 hours, and was part of the team that achieved the first-ever winter ascent of K2 in 2021.
Third expedition to Broad Peak proved fatal
Purja first summited Broad Peak in 2019 during Project Possible. He returned to the mountain in July 2022, completing the climb without supplemental oxygen.
His latest expedition marked his third attempt on Broad Peak, during which he was caught in the avalanche that claimed his life.
From Gurkha soldier to elite special forces
Born on July 25, 1983, in Dana village of Nepal’s Myagdi district, Purja came from a family with a long tradition of military service in the Gorkha Regiment. His father and three elder brothers also served as Gorkha soldiers.
Following in their footsteps, Purja joined the British Army’s Gorkha Regiment before becoming the first Nepali to be selected for the Special Boat Service (SBS), the British Royal Navy’s elite special forces unit.
During his military career, he participated in several operations in extreme conditions, experiences that later inspired his passion for high-altitude mountaineering.
Left military career to chase his dream
Purja first visited Everest Base Camp in 2012 while serving in the military. Inspired to climb the world’s highest peak, he underwent rigorous training and summited Mount Everest in 2014.
He resigned from military service in 2018 to pursue mountaineering full-time and focused on his goal of climbing every mountain above 8,000 metres.
Financing the expeditions was a major challenge. To fund his dream, Purja sold his house and invested everything into his climbing career.
Netflix documentary brought global acclaim
Purja’s extraordinary achievements reached a worldwide audience through the Netflix documentary 14 Peaks: Nothing Is Impossible, which chronicled his record-breaking quest to climb all 14 eight-thousanders in just over six months.
The documentary highlighted the extreme weather, avalanche risks, oxygen shortages and life-threatening challenges faced by Purja and his Nepali team, while also drawing international attention to the contributions of Nepali climbers and Sherpas in Himalayan mountaineering.
In 2020, Purja published his autobiography, Beyond Possible, detailing his childhood, military career, the story behind Project Possible, and the journey that made him one of the world’s most celebrated mountaineers.
