Nirmal Purja, known as Nimsdai, dies in Broad Peak avalanche; search confirms deaths of team members
Elite Exped says an avalanche on Broad Peak’s West Ridge route in Pakistan claimed Nirmal Purja and other members of his ten-person expedition team, after a two
Legendary climber Nirmal Purja, widely known as Nimsdai, has died after an avalanche struck his expedition on Pakistan’s Broad Peak. He was 43. The news was confirmed by his expedition company, Elite Exped, in a statement that said the tragedy also claimed the lives of other climbers on the same team.
Avalanche hit near West Ridge route at high altitude
Elite Exped said the avalanche occurred on Broad Peak’s popular West Ridge route at around 6,600 metres. The team was reportedly operating at that altitude when the incident happened. Purja’s trusted partners, Pur Bahadur Gurung and Nima Sherpa, were also among those who died, along with other members of the ten-person climbing group.
After the incident, a search was carried out for two days. The effort faced brutal weather and difficult terrain. A final confirmation came after drone footage located the climbers near 5,900 metres, and the video was used to confirm that no survivors were found.
Purja’s life story had already been tied closely to extreme mountains. He was born in western Nepal in a family with military roots. His father and three older brothers served in Nepal’s Gurkha regiments, and Purja later followed a similar path. He served as a British Gurkha and later earned a place in the Royal Navy’s Special Boat Service.
From military service to record-setting mountaineering
His mountaineering career began during a trek to Everest Base Camp in 2012, when he reached Lobuche. He later rose to global attention through speed and endurance attempts on the world’s highest peaks. In 2019, he launched what he called Project Possible, summiting all fourteen mountains above 8,000 metres in six months and six days, breaking an earlier long-standing record.
Purja also returned for other high-profile climbs and achieved the first completion of a triple header of 8,000-metre summits without supplementary oxygen in 2022. His achievements were documented in the Netflix film 14 Peaks, Nothing Is Impossible. Beyond climbing, he built a commercial mountaineering venture through Elite Exped and launched the Nimsdai clothing brand, with support and funding tied to his Nimsdai Foundation, including projects intended to help guides and porters. The foundation later confirmed his death.
