Record-breaking mountaineer Nirmal 'Nimsdai' Purja died after an avalanche on Broad Peak. Elite Exped confirmed the deaths of Purja and several team members, including Pur Bahadur Gurung and Nima Sherpa. Up to ten climbers may have died.
Record-breaking mountaineer Nirmal Purja, best known as Nimsdai, died after an avalanche swept Broad Peak in Pakistan's Gilgit-Baltistan region. Elite Exped, the expedition company he co-founded, confirmed the news on Saturday. In a statement, the company said several team members also lost their lives. Pur Bahadur Gurung and Nima Sherpa were among those named. The organization asked for privacy for the families.
Purja, 41, was leading a climb on Thursday when the avalanche hit near Camp I on the Concordia side. Search teams initially held hope after his tracking device showed movement, suggesting he might be alive. A drone later detected what appeared to be four bodies. Those believed located included Purja, Kili Pemba Sherpa, Nima Sherpa and Wang Zhong. Search teams think the avalanche may have killed as many as ten climbers.
Just days before the expedition, Purja posted on X that Broad Peak was not part of his original plan. He said his main goal was Project Hattrick, an expedition to climb Gasherbrum II. Adding Broad Peak brought him closer to a historic first: becoming the first mountaineer to summit all 14 peaks above 8,000 metres twice without supplemental oxygen. Only Cho Oyu would have remained after this climb.
In that same post, he addressed the mountain directly. "Broad Peak, I ask for nothing but safe passage up and back down," he wrote. He added that he had never taken any mountain for granted. "Each step beyond base camp demands total respect," he said. "I never consider success guaranteed."
Purja rose to global fame in 2019 after climbing all 14 of the world's highest peaks in under seven months. The feat was later documented in a Netflix film, introducing his story to a wide audience. He had spent 16 years in military service before turning to professional mountaineering. That included six years with the Gurkhas and ten with the UK Special Forces. In recognition of his achievements, he was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire.
His career also drew criticism, especially over the pace and methods of his 2019 expedition. In what became his final public post, he addressed those debates. He said he never viewed mountaineering as a competition against others. Success, he wrote, was measured by comparing his own performances, not by outside opinions. He planned to keep setting ambitious goals and pushing his own limits.
That drive defined his career until the end. The avalanche on Broad Peak not only ended his life but likely killed several other climbers, including guides from Elite Exped. The loss reshapes the company Purja helped build. The quest to double-summit all 14 peaks without oxygen will now continue without its most visible champion.
Elite Exped said it would release further details as rescue operations proceed. Search teams recovered four bodies from near Camp I. The search for additional climbers continues.
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