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Avalanche in Pakistan kills famed mountaineer Nirmal Purja and his fellow climbers
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FILE - Nirmal Purja, one of the team members of the all-Nepalese mountaineering team that became the first to scale Mount K2 in winter, gestures as the team arrives at Tribhuwan International airport in Kathmandu, Nepal, Jan. 26, 2021. Niranjan Shrestha/AP hide caption toggle caption Niranjan Shrestha/AP The celebrated climber Nirmal Purja and the nine other members of a mountaineering expedition group have died after they were caught in an avalanche on one of the highest peaks on earth. "It is with profound sadness and immense heartbreak that we confirm that Mirmal 'Nimsdai' Purja tragically lost his life following the avalanche on Broad Peak," Purja's company Elite Expeditions said in a statement. Broad Peak is a 26,414 foot mountain in Northern Pakistan. "We have also received confirmation that other members of the expedition sadly did not survive," the company said. Purja, who was 43 years old and a British-Nepali climber, became world-renowned by breaking climbing records. In 2019, he was the first person to climb all 14 mountains world-wide with elevations above 8,000 meters (26,247 feet) in 6 months and 6 days. The feat was the subject of a Netflix feature documentary in 2021. Purja also served for a decade in the UK's Special Boat Service, an elite special forces unit of the British military similar to the US Navy SEALs. International team killed, including an American The expedition included climbers from Oman, Nepal, Pakistan, China and the United States, according to Alpine Club of Pakistan. The American mountaineer was 39-year old Mallory Geis of San Antonio, Texas, according to the Associated Press. In a social media post earlier this year she wrote about her decision to close her Pilates studio to pursue high altitude climbing. "So here we go. Taking a giant leap of faith into the unknown to see where life goes. I have a sneaking suspicion there will be lots of helmets, harnesses, and crampons involved," Geis posted. In another post she talked about being excited about her upcoming trip to climb the more-than 8,000 meter mountain in Pakistan. "I'm heading out for my first big kid climbing expedition in Pakistan," she wrote. "Let's see if we can get this body and these boots up Broad Peak, the 12th highest mountain in the world." "She was a very positive person," her father George Geis told KENS 5 local news in San Antonio. "She could do most anything she wanted to do." Rescue efforts proved futile Military helicopters and high-altitude porters and rescue teams searched the area despite challenging terrain and weather conditions, according to local police. Nepal's Prime Minister Balendra "Balen" Shah confirmed the deaths of the Nepalese climbers in a social media post on Saturday. The remains of some of the climbers have been flown to hospitals in Pakistan, according to the Associated Press citing local police. "Today, we mourn not only Nims, but every life lost in this tragedy," Elite Expeditions said. "Our deepest thoughts, prayers and heartfelt condolences are with their families, friends and loved ones."
Renowned British-Nepali mountaineer Nirmal Purja is among 10 people killed in an avalanche on Broad Peak in Pakistan, his company has said.Elite Expeditions said it confirmed with "profound sadness and immense heartbreak" that Purja, 43, had died in Thursday's avalanche. His brother Kamal later wrote: "We will miss you every single day".Purja, who was born in Nepal and later served in the British army, was known for scaling the world's 14 highest peaks in just over six months in 2019.Pakistani officials earlier said the bodies of three climbers from his expedition - American Mallory Geis, Nadhira Ahmed Abdullah Al Harthy from Oman and Pur Bahadur Gurung from Nepal - had been recovered.Purja's death was also confirmed by Nepal's Prime Minister Balendra Shah, who said that "the tragic death of six Nepalese and four other foreign climbers, including world record holder Nirmal Purja, in the Karakoram mountain range of Pakistan, has shocked us"."The history of their courage, dedication, and contributions will always remain inspiring," the prime minister added.In a statement, Purja's older brother Kamal wrote: "It is with the heaviest heart that I share the devastating news that my beloved younger brother, Nirmal 'Nimsdai' Purja, and the other climbers are no longer with us."Although our hearts are broken, we are incredibly proud of you. Your legacy will live forever," he added.UK Defence Secretary Wes Streeting said in a post on X: "Incredibly sad to learn of the passing of Nirmal (Nims) Purja and those he was climbing with."He was an inspirational man who served in our Armed Forces for many years - and whose incredible mountaineering adventures are known the world over."Naila Kiani, a spokesperson for the Alpine Club of Pakistan which is involved in the rescue efforts, told BBC's Newshour programme that Purja had led many expeditions that she was on. Praising his leadership skills, she described him as a "very experienced climber and fearless".Kiani said the Alpine Club would only announce his death once the body has been recovered - but she added that "we are fearing them all dead".She also said rescuers had seen some bodies - but were yet to reach them.Teams in Pakistan have been searching for the climbers on the world's 12th-highest summit after an avalanche on the 8,047m (26,400ft) peak in the Karakoram range.The multinational climbing group was being led by Purja. Also known as Nims, he rose to prominence in 2019 when he climbed all 14 of the world's mountains with peaks above 8,000m in 189 days - smashing the previous record by more than seven years.He became widely known following a Netflix documentary chronicling his journey, 14 Peaks: Nothing Is Impossible, released two years later.At the time, he said: "It has been a gruelling but humbling six months, and I hope to have proven that anything is possible with some determination, self-belief and positivity."Purja served in the British military for 16 years, 10 of which were spent in the special forces, and he was awarded an MBE by the late Queen in 2018 for his achievement in extreme high-altitude mountaineering.Purja, who lived with his wife and three-year-old daughter in Hampshire in southern England, said he was also the first Gurkha to climb Everest while serving in the British military.In his last post on X, published on Monday, he said he had not intended to climb Broad Peak."Initially, the plan was to climb just G2," Purja wrote, referring to Gasherbrum II, another peak in the Karakoram mountain range.But right before he set off for Pakistan, he realised that if he also managed to climb Broad Peak while he was there, he would have only one more mountain to conquer before becoming the "first person in history to climb all 14 eight-thousanders twice. Without oxygen."An eight-thousander is a mountain that rises more than 8,000m above sea level."This wasn't planned," Purja wrote. "But opportunities don't scream: they whisper to those already working in silence.""Broad Pe
Nirmal Purja: Renowned climber among 10 mountaineers feared missing after Pakistan avalanche BBC What We Know About the 10 Climbers Missing in the Broad Peak Avalanche Climbing Magazine 10 Climbers Feared Missing After Avalanche in Pakistan The New York Times American Mallory Geis is among 10 climbers missing on a Pakistan peak NBC News World-renowned climber Nirmal Purja among 10 missing following avalanche in Pakistan CNN
A ten-member international mountaineering team led by renowned Nepal-born former Royal Marine Nirmal Purja is feared missing after an avalanche on Pakistan's Broad Peak, one of the world's highest mountains.Pakistani mountaineering officials say the avalanche hit at around midday on Thursday on the 8,047-metre (26,400 ft) peak in the Karakoram range. There has been no subsequent communication with the team.An American, a Chinese national, an Omani and five Nepalis are said to be part of the climbing group.Purja, the expedition leader, is known for climbing all 14 of the world's 8,000-metre plus mountains in just over six months in 2019."We are coordinating with the authorities and trying to arrange a helicopter rescue on Friday morning Pakistani time depending on weather condition," Karrar Haidri, the vice-president of the Alpine Club of Pakistan told the BBC.Broad Peak is regarded as one of the more challenging mountains for expeditions, and is ranked as the world's 12th highest peak.In a separate statement, the Alpine Club of Pakistan said it had been "in constant contact" with the authorities to ensure that "all available resources are mobilised at the earliest opportunity"."The Club prays for the safety and successful rescue of all the climbers and stands in solidarity with their families and the international mountaineering community during this difficult time," it added.Purja joined the British Army in 2003 and became a Royal Marine in 2009.His climbing career began when he walked to Everest base camp in 2012 and, instead of returning as planned, decided to climb the entire mountain.
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