Famed Nepalese climber Nirmal Purja dies in Pakistan avalanche

Renowned mountaineer Nirmal Purja, who gained fame by scaling all 14 peaks taller than 8,000 meters (26,000 feet) in a little over six months in 2019, died in an avalanche on Broad Peak in Pakistan’s Karakoram range, his expedition company said Saturday. He was 43.

The Nepalese-born Purja, better known as Nims Dai, was among a group of climbers who perished in the catastrophe, Elite Exped said on its Instagram account.

“The world has lost one of mountaineering’s greatest climbers, a leader who inspired millions through his courage, humility and unwavering belief that human potential is far greater than we often imagine,” the company wrote.

The team of 10, including partners and guides Pur Bahadur Gurung and Nima Sherpa, went missing on Thursday following the avalanche that sparked a frantic rescue operation on the slopes of the world’s 12th highest mountain.

In one of the final posts to his Instagram account, Purja said Broad Peak wasn’t part of his initial plan for the expedition but presented an opportunity that would have left him with just one mountain to become the first person “to climb all 14 eight-thousanders twice. Without oxygen,” he wrote. “Broad Peak, I ask for nothing but safe passage up and back down.”

Purja’s feats highlighted the vital, yet often underappreciated, role of Nepalese climbers and guides in preparing high-altitude routes for an extreme sport growing in popularity. They also drew criticism for undertaking pursuits at a speed that appeared to make light of summit preparation that can take years. 

His rapid ascent to mountaineering’s hall of fame was featured in the Netflix documentary “14 Peaks: Nothing Is Impossible” in 2021.  

Purja, who was educated in the UK and held British citizenship, served in the British Army’s Brigade of Gurkhas and was appointed an MBE (Most Excellent Order of the British Empire) by Queen Elizabeth II in 2018 for his achievements in high-altitude mountaineering. 

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