Nepal’s mountains have lost one of their greatest sons. We honor the life, legacy, and spirit of a man who showed the world what Nepali courage looks like.
It is with heavy hearts that we at Visit View Nepal Trek write this tribute. On July 30, 2026, the mountaineering world lost one of its most extraordinary figures — Nirmal “Nims Dai” Purja MBE (Member of the Order of the British Empire) — in an avalanche on Broad Peak in Pakistan’s Karakoram range. He was 43 years old.
As a Nepal-based trekking and mountaineering company, we did not just lose a public figure we admired from a distance. We lost a brother of the mountains — a man who redefined what Nepali climbers could achieve on the world stage, and who gave an entire generation of guides, porters, and Sherpa climbers a reason to believe their skill deserved global recognition.
What Happened on Broad Peak?
An international climbing team of ten mountaineers set out on an expedition to Broad Peak (8,047m), organized through Karakoram Tours, Amazing Tours, and Blue Sky Trek & Tours Company. On the morning of July 30, while the team was ascending from Camp II to Camp III, an avalanche struck the mountain.
Nims Dai and several of his trusted climbing partners and guides — including Sherpa climbers Kili Pemba, Nima, Gyalu, and Nawang Thindu — were among those caught in the slide. Search and recovery efforts continued over the following days in extremely difficult high-altitude conditions. On Saturday, August 1, his expedition company, Elite Exped, confirmed the devastating news that he had lost his life in the avalanche, along with several members of his team.
A Life Spent Redefining the Impossible
For those who may not know his full story, Nirmal Purja was born on July 25, 1983, in Dana, a small village in Myagdi, Nepal. Before he ever set foot on an 8,000-meter peak as a professional climber, he served in the British Army’s Brigade of Gurkhas and later became the first Gurkha to join the elite Special Boat Service.
His climbing career began almost by accident — a 2012 trek to Everest Base Camp turned into a summit push, and from there, a legend was born.
In 2019, Nims accomplished what many in the climbing world called impossible: he summited all fourteen of the world’s 8,000-meter peaks in just six months and six days, smashing the previous record, which had stood at nearly eight years. The achievement was chronicled in the Netflix documentary 14 Peaks: Nothing Is Impossible, which introduced his fearless spirit and infectious “Nims Dai” energy to millions around the world.
His list of achievements reads like a history of modern Himalayan climbing:
- Fastest ascent of Mount Everest, Lhotse, and Makalu — all within 48 hours
- First winter ascent of K2, alongside a team of nine fellow Nepali climbers, in 2021
- Multiple 8,000-meter summits completed without supplemental oxygen, including Kanchenjunga in 2022
- Founder of Elite Exped, the Nimsdai Foundation, Skydive Nimsdai, and the Nimsdai Store
But beyond the records, what made Nims Dai beloved — especially here at home in Nepal — was his relentless mission to make sure Sherpa and Nepali climbers received the recognition they had always deserved but rarely received. He often spoke about how Nepali climbing guides did the hardest, most dangerous work on every expedition, yet remained invisible in a story usually told about foreign mountaineers. He wanted to change that. And he did.
Our Condolences, From the Visit View Nepal Trek Family
To the family of Nirmal Purja, to his wife Suchi and daughter Himani, to the families of Kili Pemba Sherpa, Nima Sherpa, Gyalu Sherpa, Nawang Thindu Sherpa, and every climber and guide lost alongside him on Broad Peak — we offer our deepest, most heartfelt condolences.
At Visit View Nepal Trek, our guides and porters walk the same trails, dream the same dreams, and carry the same quiet courage that defined Nims Dai’s life. His story was, in many ways, our story — a reminder of what Nepali mountain people are capable of when given the chance to be seen. His loss is felt in every teahouse, every trekking company office, and every mountain village across this country.
As the Nimsdai Foundation wrote in their tribute, “his legacy will live on in the countless lives he changed and the people he inspired to climb their own mountains.” We could not agree more. Nepal’s Prime Minister Balendra Shah also honored the climbers, calling their loss shocking, and noting they will be remembered for their courage and dedication.
We ask our community, our clients, and fellow trekkers around the world to join us in a moment of reflection for Nims Dai and every member of the Broad Peak expedition team who did not come home. May their families find strength in the incredible legacy they leave behind, and may the mountains they loved so deeply hold them gently.
Rest in peace, Nims Dai. Nepal — and the world — is better because you dreamed impossibly big.
With deep respect and sympathy, The Visit View Nepal Trek Family
If you would like to honor Nirmal Purja’s legacy, consider supporting the Nimsdai Foundation, which continues his work of education, disaster relief, and community upliftment across Nepal.