The Nepal-born British mountaineer Nirmal Purja, popularly known as "Nims Dai", redefined the limits of high-altitude climbing by scaling the world's 14 highest peaks in a record-breaking 189 days. He has died at the age of 43.

On 1 August, Purja was confirmed to be among 10 climbers killed on Broad Peak mountain in Pakistan’s Gilgit-Baltistan region after his expedition team was swept away by an avalanche.

Celebrated for pushing the limits of human endurance, Purja achieved fame beyond the mountaineering community through the Netflix documentary 14 Peaks: Nothing Is Impossible.

Purja was leading the multinational expedition team which included five other Nepalese climbers as well as mountaineers from four countries, including the US, Oman, China and Pakistan.

“Today it is with profound sadness and immense heartbreak that we confirm that Nirmal 'Nimsdai' Purja tragically lost his life following the avalanche on Broad Peak,” his expedition organising company Elite Exped said in an Instagram post.

“We have also received confirmation that other members of the expedition sadly did not survive,” it added.

Purja first gained global recognition in 2019 when he completed the feat of climbing all 14 of the world’s peaks higher than 8,000m in just over six months.

The achievement, called “Project Possible”, shattered the previous record of nearly eight years and cemented his place in mountaineering history. His record was later surpassed in 2023.

Before becoming a professional mountaineer, Purja served for 16 years in the British military. He joined the British Army in 2003 before going on to serve in the elite Special Boat Service, one of the UK’s special forces units. He came from a family of Gurkhas, with both his father and brothers having served in the British Army.

His achievements have earned him widespread recognition beyond the climbing community. He was appointed an MBE by Queen Elizabeth II in 2018 in recognition of his outstanding achievements in mountaineering.

Prince William led tributes to Purja after his death was confirmed, writing in a statement that the 43-year-old had “served with distinction in the British Armed Forces before becoming one of the world’s greatest mountaineers, putting Nepalese climbers on the map”.

As a naturalised British citizen, he has also been honoured by local authorities in the UK for his achievements.

Eastleigh Borough Council in southern England conferred on him the Honorary Freedom of the Borough, its highest civic distinction, acknowledging both his accomplishments and his contributions to the local Nepali community.

During his Everest ascent in 2019, he captured a now-iconic image of a long queue of climbers waiting to reach the summit. The photograph sparked international debate about overcrowding and safety on the world’s highest mountain.

Over the years, Purja built a reputation for ambitious expeditions and high-risk rescues in the Himalayas.

In 2024, Purja was accused of sexual assault and harassment by at least two women, prompting calls to ban him from Mount Everest. Former Miss Finland Lotta Hintsa and April Leonardo from California accused Purja of sexual misconduct during their expeditions with him. The allegations reported by the New York Times shook the mountaineering community.

At the time, his team told The Independent: “The publication’s story makes allegations, these are NOT facts. Nims denies these allegations unequivocally. We maintain the ‘investigation’ by the publication was biased and had a pre-determined narrative and outcome.”

What happened on his last expedition?

The team of 10 mountaineers launched their push to summit Broad Peak, the world’s 12th highest mountain, on 30 July. But a massive avalanche at 9am local time on the same day swept the 10 climbers down the mountain’s west-facing gulley, up to a vertical mile. Rescue and recovery mission began a few hours later with hopes of finding survivors.

Two Pakistan Army Aviation helicopters joined the operation, while an experienced ground team was deployed to the area where the group was last believed to have been.

Purja’s GPS tracking device continued to show signs of movement after the avalanche, according to his business partner, Mingma Gyabu Sherpa. He said the tracker initially indicated that Purja had been carried downhill by the avalanche before its location shifted again, offering a glimmer of hope for his survival.

Other members of the team included US climber Sarah Mallory Geis, China's Wang Zhong, Omani climber Nathira Ahmed and Pakistani mountaineer Sohail Sakhi.

The disaster has dealt a severe blow to the Nepalese mountaineering community, with five elite Nepali mountain guides killed alongside Purja. They included Pur Bahadur Gurung, also known as Yukta; Kili Pemba Sherpa, known as Kilu; Nawang Thendu Sherpa; and Gyaljen Sherpa, known as Gyalu.

Pakistan-based adventure company Moving Mountains said the expedition marked Geis’s first attempt at an 8,000-metre mountain in Pakistan, while it was expected to be Sakhi’s final climb of a peak above that altitude.

In his last social media post published on Monday, Purja said climbing Broad Peak was not part of the plan while he was in Pakistan and spoke about criticism he received for taking risky challenges.

"Initially, the plan was to climb just G2," Purja said, referring to Gasherbrum II, another peak in the Karakoram mountain range.

“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 “Cho Oyu.” Then I become the FIRST person in history to climb all 14 eight-thousanders twice. Without oxygen,” he said.

"This wasn't planned," Purja wrote. "But opportunities don't scream: they whisper to those already working in silence.

"Broad Peak, I ask for nothing but safe passage up and back down. I take zero mountains for granted," he wrote.

He said the secret he has carried to every expedition was: “I never competed with anyone else. My only battle was against the man I was yesterday.

“Every single day, pushing my own limits. Because the moment you look sideways: at what others are doing, saying, achieving: you drift off your compass. Your heading is YOURS. Guard it fiercely.”

Purja is survived by his wife and his three-year-old daughter who live in Hampshire in southern England.

His brother Kamal said: “It is with the heaviest heart that I share the devastating news that my beloved younger brother, Nirmal ‘Nimsdai’ Purja, and the other climbers are no longer with us. Although our hearts are broken, we are incredibly proud of you. Your legacy will live forever.”