03/08/2026
Extremely sad to lose most experienced mountain champions and may God rest home in peace, Shiva bless his pure soul..he was divine man of Kailasha be one with Shiva now: Nirmal Purja (Nimsdai): The Man Who Redefined What Was Possible
In the wake of this heartbreaking tragedy, Nepal has lost a national icon. The world has lost a true legend. And the global mountaineering community has lost one of its brightest star.
Nirmal Purja, affectionately known around the world as Nimsdai, was far more than an extraordinary mountaineer. He was a symbol of courage, resilience, self-belief, and the limitless potential of the human spirit. His remarkable journey inspired millions and forever changed the way the world views Nepali climbers.
Born on 25 July 1983 in Dana village of Myagdi, Nepal, and raised primarily in Chitwan, Nirmal came from a proud military family. His father and three elder brothers all served in the British Gurkha Regiment. Following in their footsteps, he fulfilled what he described as his only childhood dream.
“Becoming a Gurkha soldier was my only dream. That was the only thing I wanted to do in life.”
He served six years as a British Gurkha before making history by becoming the first Nepali ever selected into the British Royal Navy’s elite Special Boat Service (SBS)—one of the world’s most demanding special forces units. During nearly sixteen years of military service, he specialized in high-altitude and extreme cold-weather warfare. In recognition of his exceptional service and contributions to mountaineering, he was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in 2018.
Yet even an elite military career could not contain the size of his dreams.
To pursue what many believed was impossible, Nirmal made one of the boldest decisions of his life. He resigned from the SBS, gave up his military pension, and even sold his home in the United Kingdom to finance an ambitious mountaineering project that almost everyone dismissed.
“I left my job in Britain, gave up my pension, and even sold my house in the UK to fund my mountain climbing expedition. No one believed it was possible. When I started Project Possible, many people mocked me.”
They doubted him.
He proved them wrong.
In 2019, through Project Possible, Nirmal achieved what many considered unimaginable—climbing all 14 of the world’s 8,000-meter peaks in just 6 months and 6 days, smashing the previous record of more than seven years. The achievement stunned the world and became the subject of Netflix’s acclaimed documentary 14 Peaks: Nothing Is Impossible, introducing millions to the extraordinary abilities of Nepali climbers.
His record-breaking journey did not stop there.
He became the first climber to summit Everest, Lhotse, and Makalu within just 48 hours, a feat of astonishing endurance, logistics, and determination.
In 2021, he stood alongside nine fellow Nepali climbers to achieve one of mountaineering’s greatest milestones—the first-ever winter ascent of K2, the world’s second-highest and one of its most dangerous mountains. For decades, K2 had resisted every winter expedition. It finally yielded to an all-Nepali team, forever rewriting mountaineering history.
Nirmal continued pushing human limits. By 2025, he had reached his 50th successful summit of an 8,000-meter peak, setting a world record for the most successful ascents of the world’s highest mountains. He also established the record for the most successful 8,000-meter summits completed without supplemental oxygen and earned another Guinness World Record for becoming the fastest person to climb the higher 8,000-meter peaks twice.
But numbers alone never defined Nimsdai.
What truly set him apart was his humanity.
Again and again, he chose saving lives over chasing records.
While descending Annapurna in April 2019, he abandoned his own expedition to rescue Malaysian climber Chin Wui Kin, who had been stranded for nearly forty hours without food, water, or oxygen. Nirmal carried him down the mountain, giving him a chance to survive.
During another expedition on Kanchenjunga, he once again sacrificed his summit ambitions to rescue fellow climbers stranded at an altitude of 8,450 meters.
“We gave them our own oxygen and began rescuing three climbers. It was like a suicidal effort, and possibly the most difficult moment of my life.”
These moments revealed the true measure of the man—not simply a record-breaker, but someone who believed that every human life mattered more than any summit.
When he returned to Kathmandu after completing Project Possible in October 2019, thousands gathered at Tribhuvan International Airport to welcome him home. He emerged from the arrival hall covered in so many flower garlands that he could barely move his neck. Nepal had embraced a new national hero.
Yet Nimsdai never climbed only for himself.
He climbed for Nepal.
He climbed for every Sherpa whose contributions had long been overlooked.
He climbed to prove that Nepali mountaineers were not merely the backbone of great expeditions, but pioneers, leaders, and legends in their own right.
His influence reached far beyond the Himalayas.
Bear Grylls mourned him by saying:
“Heart-breaking news for so many climbers around the world who had a friendship with this remarkable and unique man. We will never forget you, Nims, and your unstoppable spirit.”
Mountaineering legend Reinhold Messner reflected:
“Nims chose his own path with courage and passion. What remains is not only the sorrow of his passing, but the memory of a life truly lived.”
Guinness World Records also paid tribute, with Editor-in-Chief Craig Glenday saying:
“Nims continually pushed the limits of what the human body is capable of… His commitment to championing the incredible contribution made by the Sherpa guides and porters will also be a lasting legacy.”
Renowned Nepali mountaineer Purnima Shrestha perhaps captured his legacy best:
“Nims Dai did far more than rewrite the history of mountaineering—he transformed it. He changed the world’s perception of the Himalayas and proved that Nepali climbers are not just the backbone of great expeditions, but pioneers, leaders, and legends in their own right.”
Filmmaker and National Geographic photographer Jimmy Chin also honored him as a mountaineer who continually redefined the limits of human endurance. Nepali leaders, including Gagan Thapa, B***n Shah, the Prime Minister of Nepal, and many others, expressed their deepest condolences, recognizing him as a national hero who brought unprecedented global recognition to Nepal.
Before leaving for Broad Peak, Nirmal stood on the verge of yet another historic achievement. Only Cho Oyu remained for him to become the first person to climb all fourteen 8,000-meter peaks twice without supplemental oxygen.
Just before the expedition, he wrote:
“Broad Peak, I ask for nothing but safe passage up and back down.”
It was a simple prayer.
A prayer that, heartbreakingly, would remain unanswered.
His dream would remain unfinished.
But perhaps his greatest achievement was never completing a list of mountains.
His greatest achievement was changing how the world sees Nepal.
He inspired a generation to dream bigger, climb higher, and believe that impossible is only a starting point.
Mountains will continue to stand.
Records will eventually be broken.
But legends like Nirmal Purja are born only once in a generation.
His footprints will forever remain on the highest peaks on Earth, and his legacy will live on in every climber who dares to dream beyond the impossible.
Rest in peace, Nirmal “Nimsdai” Purja, MBE.
You conquered mountains, inspired the world, and lifted an entire nation with you. Your summit may have ended, but your legacy will rise forever.
