. The last journey of Nirmal Purja ‘Nimsdai’, a brave soldier of the British Special Forces and then a world mountaineering record climber, was as unexpected as his life.
Climbing Pakistan’s Broad Peak was not his initial plan, but a calculation led him to the possibility of making history.
Nimsdai, who has set a record for climbing 14 mountains above 8,000 meters in the world without oxygen, saw that if the Broad Peak was successful, he would be close to another historic achievement. His goal was to become the first person to climb all 14 mountains above 8,000 meters without oxygen twice.
But in pursuit of this historic goal, an avalanche at the 8,051-meter-high Broad Peak stopped his life.
Before going to Pakistan, Nimsdaei’s main plan was to climb Gasherbrum-2 (G-2). But before embarking on the expedition, he re-analysed his climbing records of mountains over 8,000 metres. Then he saw the possibility that if Broad Peak could also climb, only Chooyu would be left.
“This was never in the plan,” he wrote on X. Initially, the plan was to climb G2 only. But before going to Pakistan, I calculated my 8,000-meter climb. Then I realized that if I completed the broad peak, only Cho Oyu would be left. Then I will be the first person in history to climb all 14 8,000 meters of mountains twice without oxygen. He said that the opportunity does not shout out on its own, but it will point to those who are working silently.
Nimsdai was born in Myagdi and belonged to a Gorkha family.
In 2003, at the age of 18, he joined the Gurkha Regiment of the British Army. In 2009, he joined the UK Special Forces.
During his 16 years of military service, he developed discipline, risk management, and decision-making in difficult situations.
This experience also made him successful in mountaineering. He started his mountaineering journey in 2012 by climbing the 6,119-meter high Lobuche mountain. After retiring from the Army in 2018, he pursued a full-time mountaineering career.
climbed 14 mountains in 6 months and 6 years
Nimsdai reached the peak of the world mountaineering sector in 2019. Under his ‘Project Possible’, he climbed 14 mountains above 8,000 meters in just 6 months and 6 days.
This achievement made him one of the most courageous mountaineers in the world.
The Netflix documentary ‘Fortin Peaks Nothing is Impossible’, based on his life journey and campaign, also made him known all over the world. In 2023, Norwegian climber Kristin Harila broke her own time record by climbing 14 mountains in three months and 1 day.
Last climb and unfulfilled dream
Avalanche during the Broad Peak climb had affected 10 climbers including Nimsdai. He was expected to be alive after his tracking equipment showed movement for some time. However, the rescue team said that his body was found after about 48 hours.
His last expedition was not just an attempt to climb a mountain. It was part of a journey to accomplish another seemingly impossible goal in world mountaineering history. Carrying the discipline of the Gurkha soldiers, the courage of the Nepalese mountains and the hunger for world records, Nimsdai finally disappeared in the same mountain where he was chasing the biggest dream of his life. ANI
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