Key facts
- Six Nepali mountain guides died in an avalanche on Pakistan's Broad Peak.
- Among the deceased was Nirmal Purja, known for speed climbing the '14 peaks'.
- The guides were recognized for achievements like climbing eight-thousanders without supplemental oxygen and K2 in winter.
- The incident occurred during an expedition on Broad Peak, the world's 12th highest mountain.
- The deaths highlight the dangers and growing recognition of Nepali Sherpa guides in the mountaineering community.
Six Nepali mountain guides, including the renowned Nirmal Purja, died in an avalanche on Pakistan's Broad Peak last week. Purja, 43, also known as Nims, was leading an international team on the 12th highest mountain when the disaster struck. The group was celebrated for numerous mountaineering feats, including scaling eight-thousander peaks without supplemental oxygen and achieving the first winter ascent of K2 in 2021.
Among the deceased were Kili Pemba Sherpa, 46, who had just completed the mountaineering Grand Slam by summiting his final eight-thousander, and Pur Bahadur Gurung, 37, who was IFMGA-certified and had scaled 12 of the 14 highest peaks. Other guides lost were Gyaljen Sherpa, known for scaling Kanchenjunga three times in one season; Nima Sherpa, 36, who summited four eight-thousanders in 2026; and Nawang Thindu Sherpa, a rising guide in his 20s.
Purja's success in scaling the 14 peaks in just over six months, documented in a Netflix film, is credited with bringing Pakistan's mountains onto the radar for international climbers and Nepali Sherpas. This has led to a new era of mountaineering that, while democratizing the sport, has also fueled commercialization and increased risk. The remote nature of Pakistan's Karakoram range presents greater challenges for expeditions compared to Nepal's more developed infrastructure, requiring guides to fix their own ropes and establish camps, and making emergency evacuations more difficult.
Despite the inherent dangers and the tragic loss of life, experts believe such incidents are unlikely to deter individuals from high-altitude pursuits. The allure of risk, the pursuit of global fame, and the achievement of world records continue to draw climbers and guides to these extreme environments. Past disasters, such as the 2014 Everest ice avalanche that killed 16 Sherpas and the 2008 K2 incident where 11 climbers died, have historically had little lasting impact on safety standards, suggesting the Broad Peak tragedy may also not lead to significant changes.