World-renowned climber Nirmal Purja is feared missing following an avalanche on a mountain in Pakistan, the Alpine Club of Pakistan said in a statement. The Nepali climber made history in 2019, climbing all of the world’s 14 peaks over 8,000 meters in just over six months.
Purja’s Climbing Career
Purja, also known as “Nims,” was a soldier for 16 years with the British army, in the Brigade of Gurkhas and later the Special Boat Service, a British special forces unit of the UK’s Royal Navy. His mountaineering career began when he trekked to Everest Base Camp in 2012, an experience that “fired his passion and ambition for the mountains,” according to the website for his foundation, Nimsdai, which supports mountain communities in Nepal.
Purja quickly became “addicted” to climbing, he told CNN in 2019. He was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire in 2018, for his military service and mountaineering achievements. Purja set off on his record-breaking summit of the world’s 14 highest peaks in April 2019, finishing 189 days later in October, smashing a record set by South Korean Kim Chang-ho in 2013 – by more than seven years.
Purja and his team also carried out a number of daring rescues, often putting their own lives in danger. He described his feat to CNN as an “extremely, horrendously good experience” – despite his oxygen being stolen while climbing Lhotse, Earth’s fourth-highest peak.
Avalanche in Pakistan
The Alpine Club said it “has received deeply concerning reports of an avalanche that struck a team of climbers on Broad Peak” around midday Thursday. Broad Peak, in the Karakoram mountain range, is 8,047m high. According to initial reports, the expedition was made up of 10 climbers, including nationals from Pakistan, Oman, China and the US, the statement said.
“The entire team has reportedly been out of communication since the avalanche,” the statement said. The Alpine Club was “in constant contact with the highest government authorities and all relevant agencies to facilitate an immediate search and rescue operation.”
Original reporting: KTVZ (Central Oregon) — read the source article.
