Nirmal Purja, Nepali mountaineer who climbed the world's 14 highest peaks in 6 months, found dead

Renowned Nepali mountaineer Nirmal Purja, celebrated for his record-breaking ascent of the world's 14 highest peaks in 2019, has died. He was 38 years old.

Purja was leading a ten-person expedition on Broad Peak, an 8,047-meter (26,399 ft) mountain in northern Pakistan, when an avalanche swept through their camp on Thursday. The expedition team confirmed on Sunday that there were no survivors.

Born in the Dhaulagiri region of Nepal, Purja served in the Gurkhas and later the UK's Special Forces before dedicating himself to mountaineering. He first summited Mount Everest in 2016. His groundbreaking "Project Possible" saw him climb all 14 peaks above 8,000 meters in just six months and seven days, shattering the previous record of nearly eight years.

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This was not planned... But opportunities don't shout: they whisper to those who are already working in silence.

This latest expedition was not part of his original plan. Purja had recently summited Gasherbrum II on July 21, expanding his record for the most ascents of 8,000-meter peaks to 57. He then decided to attempt Broad Peak, the world's twelfth-highest mountain, to become the first person to climb all 14 peaks twice, without supplemental oxygen.

In a final post on X, formerly Twitter, Purja wrote, "This was not planned... But opportunities don't shout: they whisper to those who are already working in silence." He added, "Broad Peak, I ask for nothing more than a safe passage, both on the ascent and descent. I do not take any mountain for granted."

Purja was also part of the first team to summit K2 in winter in 2021, another significant achievement in the sport. His death marks a tragic loss for the mountaineering community.

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Broad Peak, I ask for nothing more than a safe passage, both on the ascent and descent. I do not take any mountain for granted.