Who is Nirmal Purja, the Famed Climber Missing after Avalanche?

British-Nepali mountaineer Nirmal Purja is among 10 climbers reported missing after an avalanche struck Broad Peak in Pakistan-administered Gilgit-Baltistan, with search and rescue operations currently under way.

Known globally as Nims Dai, the 43-year-old is regarded as one of the world’s most accomplished mountaineers.

He rose to international prominence in 2019 after climbing the world’s 14 highest peaks in just six months and six days, setting a world record.

Born in a small village in Nepal’s Myagdi district, Purja comes from a family of Gurkhas, the renowned Nepalese soldiers who have served in the British Army for more than 200 years.

Following in the footsteps of his father and elder brothers, he joined the British Army in 2003 before becoming a Royal Marine in 2009.

During his 16 years of military service, he developed a passion for mountaineering.

According to his website, Purja first visited Everest Base Camp in 2012.

Instead of returning to Kathmandu as planned, he decided to learn how to climb professionally. He soon completed his first summit on Lobuche East, a 6,119-metre mountain in Nepal.

Purja had not originally intended to climb Broad Peak during his latest expedition. In his final post on X, published on July 27, he revealed:

“Initially, the plan was to climb just G2.”

However, before travelling to Pakistan, he realised that summiting Broad Peak would leave him just one mountain away from becoming the first person in history to climb all 14 mountains above 8,000 metres twice without supplemental oxygen.

There are only 14 mountains that are at least 8,000 metres in the world, all located across the Himalayan and Karakoram mountain ranges.

Nirmal Purja wrote: “This wasn’t planned. But opportunities don’t scream: they whisper to those already working in silence.

“Broad Peak, I ask for nothing but safe passage up and back down. I take zero mountains for granted.”

Purja had successfully summited Gasherbrum II on July 21, marking his 57th ascent of an eight-thousander.

In what has now become his final public message, he thanked those who had supported and challenged him throughout his career.

“This one is dedicated to everyone who carried me here. Supporters. Critics. All of you. Without both sides, there is no fire. So thank you genuinely.”

Nirmal Purja received an MBE from Queen Elizabeth II in 2018 in recognition of his achievements.

The following year, he launched Project Possible, an ambitious challenge to climb the world’s 14 highest mountains in the shortest possible time.

He completed the feat in six months and six days, smashing the previous record of nearly eight years.

The expedition was later documented in the film 14 Peaks: Nothing is Impossible, introducing his achievement to a global audience.

To fund Project Possible, he re-mortgaged his home and was supported throughout the challenge by his wife, Suchi.

Despite the extreme physical demands of the expedition, Purja previously said he could have climbed Everest, Lhotse and Makalu in three days instead of five had he not stopped for two nights “to have a drink”.

During the expedition, he and his teammates were also known to celebrate at base camp, with the documentary showing him climbing at least one mountain while hungover.

One of the defining moments of Project Possible came in May 2019, when Purja photographed a long queue of climbers approaching the summit of Mount Everest.

The image went viral and sparked a global debate about overcrowding and safety on the world’s tallest mountain.

Following the success of Project Possible, Purja became one of the world’s most recognisable mountaineers.

He established an expedition guiding company and a mountaineering apparel brand while also campaigning for greater recognition of Nepali mountain guides and their role in supporting high-profile expeditions.