Purja was leading a 10-person expedition on Broad Peak when an avalanche struck at noon on Thursday (July 30). The group has been out of contact for several hours since the avalanche hit, the Alpine Club of Pakistan said.
The team comprised five Nepalese climbers, led by Purja, along with Pakistani climber Sohail Sakhi from Hunza, Omani climber Nadhira, American mountaineer Mallory Geis, Chinese climber Mr Wang, and another foreign climber. None have been heard from since.
Rescue efforts that reconvened on Friday local time have recovered two bodies, understood to be two of the missing 10 climbers. No identities have yet been confirmed.
Change of plan
Purja had not initially planned to climb Broad Peak. In a post on X on July 27, he explained that the original plan had been to climb just G2 (Gasherbrum II) before he decided to attempt Broad Peak as well. He wrote: “This was never the plan. Initially, the plan was to climb just G2. But just before setting off for Pakistan, I ran the numbers on my 8000m summits. That’s when it hit me: if I tick off Broad Peak whilst I’m here only one remains: [the world's 6th tallest peak, which borders China and Nepal] Cho Oyu. Then I become the FIRST person in history to climb all 14 eight-thousanders twice. Without oxygen.”
He added: “Broad Peak, I ask for nothing but safe passage up and back down. I take zero mountains for granted. Not one. The moment my foot leaves basecamp, it’s 100%. Always has been. Always will be.”
Hope in tracking data
Mingma Gyabu Sherpa, Purja's business partner, a fellow mountaineer and a member of Nepal's House of Representatives, said on Friday morning that a tracking device carried by Purja had moved after the avalanche. He told the Kantipur Daily: “Initially, it appeared that he had been swept downhill by the avalanche. But after the point where the tracking had stopped, the location appears to have shifted again.”
Sherpa cautioned that the tracking data alone could not confirm Purja's condition, but it gave a glimmer of hope that survivors remain on the mountain.
Rescue conditions
Rescue operations on Friday were hampered by poor weather, and the chances of finding survivors are said to be extremely low, according to Thaneshwar Guragain, general manager of Seven Summit Treks. Bad weather had grounded rescue helicopters, forcing search parties to mount an initial ground search.
Karrar Haidri, senior vice-president of the Alpine Club of Pakistan, said a rescue helicopter is set to fly from the city of Skardu in the Pakistan-administered Gilgit-Baltistan region once conditions improve. Alpine Club of Pakistan president Major General Irfan Arshad said the club was in close contact with government officials and was making every effort to send helicopters and other relief resources to the area as soon as possible.
Climbing record
Purja served for 16 years in the British military, including 10 years with UK Special Forces after becoming the first Gurkha to pass the elite Special Boat Service selection process. He later achieved global recognition by climbing all 14 of the world's 8,000-metre peaks in a record six months and six days, a feat documented in the Netflix film 14 Peaks: Nothing Is Impossible.
In 2018, he was awarded an MBE by Queen Elizabeth II for his exceptional military service in high-risk environments.
According to the Everest Chronicle, the avalanche comes days after Purja completed his 57th successful ascent of an 8,000-metre peak. He completed an oxygenless ascent of Gasherbrum II on July 21 and was nearing completion of his “Hat Trick Campaign” to climb all 14 of the 8,000-metre peaks three times over.
Controversy
His career has also faced controversy, including allegations of sexual assault during expeditions, as reported by The New York Times.
Broad Peak is the 12th highest mountain in the world, standing at an elevation of 8,051 metres (26,414 feet) above sea level and considered one of the most difficult peaks tackled by climbers.
