Purple-media star Nirmal ‘Nimsdai’ Purja has passed away in course of his mountaineering activities in an avalanche on the Broad Peak, the world’s 12th highest peak, said expedition outfit, Elite Exped, on Saturday. Purja and another five climbers had been lost since an avalanche hit the group on Friday.
Elite Exped confirmed in a statement shared on Instagram that Purja was among the dead in the tragedy, and that there are others in the group who also died. His trusted climbing companions and guides were Pur Bahadur Gurung (Yukta) and Nima Sherpa who died while climbing to set the record.
The avalanche developed along the usual West Ridge route of Broad Peak at about 21,600-21,850ft. It is situated in the Karakoram Range next to K2 on the border between Gilgit-Baltistan (Pakistan) and China’s Xinjiang region.
Tributes were paid to Purja by Elite Exped in this form: “He was one of the greatest climbers in mountaineering history and his courage and determination picked up millions of people across the world who were inspired by his leadership.” His legacy would be carried on by the lives changed, the organisations constructed by the company, he said.
Purja is an ex member of the Brigade of Gurkhas and Special Boat Service (SBS) of Britain and is a global icon who scaled all 14 mountains above 8,000 metres in 2019 during a Project Possible expedition in six months and six days. He was also an integral part of the hugely successful 2021 K2 winter ascent.
His incredible feats were portrayed on the Netflix film ‘14 Peaks: Nothing Is Impossible’ that inspired an entire generation of mountaineers worldwide.