Nirmal Purja, who redefined climbing, confirmed dead in Pakistan

KATHMANDU, Nepal: 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 climbing company said on Saturday.

Purja, 43, served with Britain’s Brigade of Gurkhas and then the Special Boat Squadron of the Royal Marines before becoming a full-time mountaineer and guide.

He famously completed the summit of the 14 highest peaks in the world in just over six months in 2019, shattering the previous record of seven years.

“It is with profound sadness and immense heartbreak that we confirm that Nirmal Purja tragically lost his life following the avalanche on Broad Peak,” Purja’s company Elite Expeditions said in a social media post.

“We have also received confirmation that other members of the expedition sadly did not survive.”

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.

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.

‘Everyone asks you about Everest’

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.

Inspiration

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.”

Drones deployed to locate missing climbers

A massive search and rescue operation entered its second day on Broad Peak following a devastating avalanche that struck a climbing expedition.

Renowned Pakistani mountaineers Sarbaz Khan and Shehzad along with a team of seasoned international climbers are actively participating in the high-altitude rescue mission.

According to rescue officials teams are utilizing high-tech drones to scan the dangerous, treacherous, and crevassed terrain in hopes of locating the remaining missing mountaineers.

On Friday, search teams successfully recovered the bodies of three climbers and transported them to Skardu. The deceased have been identified as an Omani national, an American woman, and a Nepalese climber.

Currently, seven climbers remain missing including five Nepalese, one Pakistani, and one Chinese national. Among those missing are world-record-holding Nepalese mountaineer Nirmal Purja (Nims) and experienced Pakistani climber Sohail Sakhi.

The global mountaineering community has expressed deep concern for their safety as search efforts continue under challenging weather conditions.

The tragic incident occurred on July 30 when a sudden avalanche swept through Broad Peak, burying 10 climbers. Local authorities from Shigar and Skardu, alongside rescue units and volunteer climbers, are utilizing all available resources to expedite the search operation.