- Prince William said he was “truly saddened” and called Nirmal Purja “one of the world’s greatest mountaineers”.
- Purja served in the British military for 16 years, including 10 in special forces, received an MBE, and said he was the first Gurkha to climb Everest while serving.
- In 2016, Purja rescued a climber left in the “Everest death zone”.
- A British adventurer paid tribute to Purja, writing that “We will never forget you Nims and your unstoppable spirit”; Purja had worked with Mr Grylls and a former Made In Chelsea star on a search for the latter’s brother.
Prince William expressed profound sadness over the death of Nirmal Purja, a celebrated mountaineer, who tragically lost his life in an avalanche on Broad Peak, Pakistan. The avalanche struck during Purja's expedition of ten climbers on Thursday, leading to the confirmation of his death by his company, Elite Exped.12
In a heartfelt social media post, William stated, “I was truly saddened to hear of the tragic death of Nirmal Purja and those who lost their lives in the avalanche on Broad Peak.” Purja was not only a remarkable climber but also a former British Army soldier who served for 16 years, including a decade in the special forces. He was awarded an MBE by the late Queen in 2018 for his extraordinary achievements in high-altitude mountaineering.34
Purja gained international fame in 2019 when he set a record by climbing all 14 of the world’s peaks above 8,000 metres in just 189 days, a feat documented in the Netflix film 14 Peaks: Nothing Is Impossible. His legacy includes being the first Gurkha to summit Everest while serving in the military and rescuing a climber from the “Everest death zone” in 2016.5
The mountaineering community mourns not only Purja but also his climbing partners, Pur Bahadur Gurung and Nima Sherpa, who also perished in the avalanche. British adventurer Bear Grylls paid tribute, stating, “Heartbreaking news for so many climbers around the world who had a relationship with this remarkable and unique man.”
“Purja served 16 years in the British military, including 10 in special forces, and was awarded an MBE in 2018; he said he was the first Gurkha to climb Everest while serving. In 2016 he broke mountaineering conventions to rescue a climber left in the “Everest death zone,” bringing her to safety alone.”
London Evening Standard
