The avalanche on Broad Peak was far more than a tragic mountaineering accident. For Nepal, it dealt a severe blow to an industry that has spent decades building a global reputation through the expertise and leadership of its elite high-altitude climbers.
The avalanche struck a multinational expedition on the 8,051-metre Broad Peak in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir on Thursday, killing six Nepali mountaineers, including world-renowned climber Nirmal "Nimsdai" Purja, along with four foreign climbers.
Nepali expedition operators told local media that the country had rarely experienced such a devastating loss of internationally recognised and highly experienced climbers in a single incident.
"This is not merely the death of 10 climbers, including six Nepalis. It represents a devastating loss of the experience, leadership and achievements that Nepali mountaineering has built over decades on the global stage," Rishiram Bhandari, General Secretary of the Expedition Operators Association, told e-Kantipur.
Industry experts said producing world-class mountain guides requires years of training, repeated expeditions and practical experience, making the simultaneous loss of several elite climbers a long-term setback for Nepal's expedition sector.
"An international-standard mountain guide cannot be created overnight," Seven Summit Treks director Chhang Dawa Sherpa told The Kathmandu Post, stressing that such expertise is built only through years of experience.
NIMSDAI: THE CLIMBER WHO REWROTE HISTORY
Purja shot to international prominence in 2019 after scaling all 14 mountains above 8,000 metres in just six months and six days, shattering a record that had previously taken more than seven years. His extraordinary feat was later chronicled in the Netflix documentary 14 Peaks: Nothing Is Impossible.
Born in Nepal, Purja served for 16 years in the British Army, including a decade with the elite Special Boat Service. In 2018, he was awarded an MBE for his contributions to high-altitude mountaineering. He was also part of the all-Nepali team that completed the first-ever winter ascent of K2 in January 2021, one of the most celebrated accomplishments in Himalayan climbing.
Broad Peak was not initially part of Purja's plans. In what became his final social media post, quoted by the BBC, he explained that summiting the mountain would leave him just one peak away from becoming the first climber to scale all 14 eight-thousanders twice without supplemental oxygen.
His body was recovered on Sunday at an altitude of about 5,700 metres, three days after the avalanche, according to the Alpine Club of Pakistan.
THE FIVE OTHER NEPALI CLIMBERS LOST
The tragedy also claimed the lives of Kili Pemba Sherpa, Pur Bahadur Gurung, Nima Sherpa, Nawang Thendu Sherpa and Gyaljen Sherpa.
Kili Pemba served as a lead guide with Imagine Nepal, while Pur Bahadur and Nima were associated with Purja's Elite Exped. Gyaljen and Nawang worked with Seven Summit Treks, according to The Kathmandu Post.
Collectively, they possessed years of expertise in route planning, rope fixing, high-altitude rescue operations and expedition leadership.
KILI PEMBA SHERPA: A PIONEER OF HIMALAYAN CLIMBING
Kili Pemba was among Nepal's finest high-altitude climbers and one of the 10 Nepali mountaineers who achieved the historic first winter ascent of K2 under Purja's leadership in January 2021.
Only weeks before the Broad Peak expedition, he had completed all 14 mountains above 8,000 metres by summiting Nanga Parbat. Less than a month later, he lost his life on Broad Peak.
Born in Beding in Nepal's Rolwaling Valley, he began working on mountaineering expeditions at just 16 years of age. He climbed Manaslu in 2002 and reached the summit of Everest for the first time in 2003, according to e-Kantipur.
His contributions extended beyond personal milestones. In 2021, he and Mingma Gyalje Sherpa helped establish the true summit route on Manaslu, resolving a long-standing issue where climbers had mistakenly stopped at a lower fore-summit.
Nepali media also credited him with guiding climbers with disabilities, helping a Chinese double amputee summit Everest and a Russian double amputee reach the top of Manaslu.
PUR BAHADUR GURUNG: TWO PEAKS AWAY FROM HIS DREAM
Pur Bahadur Gurung, popularly known as Yukta, had successfully climbed 12 of the world's 14 eight-thousanders and was pursuing the final two when he travelled to Pakistan.
According to The Kathmandu Post, he had originally intended to climb K2. However, after a client suffered a broken arm and that expedition was postponed, he joined Purja's Broad Peak team instead. The avalanche brought his dream of completing all 14 peaks to a tragic end.
A native of Laprak in Nepal's Gorkha district, Yukta began his career as a porter in 2005 before progressing to become a cook, mountain guide and internationally recognised climber.
He first summited Everest in 2011 at the age of 22. On May 20 this year, he completed his tenth Everest ascent, becoming the first member of the Gurung community to achieve the feat, according to e-Kantipur. His climbing record also included Makalu, Annapurna, Lhotse and K2.
His body was among the first to be recovered, the Alpine Club of Pakistan confirmed.
GYALJEN SHERPA: RECORD-BREAKING GUIDE
Gyaljen Sherpa, widely known as Gyalu, hailed from Okhaldhunga and began his professional mountaineering career in 2015. He had successfully climbed Everest, Manaslu, Kanchenjunga, Cholatse, Himlung Himal, Lobuche, Mera Peak and Lenin Peak.
Chhang Dawa Sherpa told The Kathmandu Post that Gyalu set a Guinness World Record by summiting Kanchenjunga three times in a single climbing season. He had also reached the summit of Everest on multiple occasions.
He spent nearly eight years with Seven Summit Treks and completed another Everest expedition earlier this year.
NIMA SHERPA: A YEAR OF MAJOR ACHIEVEMENTS
Nima Sherpa, from the Makalu region of Sankhuwasabha, came from a farming family before entering the trekking industry and later joining Elite Exped.
According to e-Kantipur, he had already climbed four mountains above 8,000 metres this year before joining the Broad Peak expedition.
His death meant Elite Exped lost not only its founder but also two of its senior Nepali guides, including Yukta, in the same disaster.
NAWANG THENDU SHERPA: A RISING STAR
At just 29, Nawang Thendu Sherpa was among the youngest victims of the avalanche. Despite his age, he had already summited Everest, Lhotse, Manaslu, Kanchenjunga, Makalu and Ama Dablam. He first climbed Everest in 2022 and reached the summit of Makalu earlier this year.
Mountaineering ran in his family, with his father and three brothers also having climbed mountains above 8,000 metres.
"Nawang's death has deprived our village of a brave, sincere and exceptionally promising young man," a local official told The Kathmandu Post.
THE FOUR FOREIGN CLIMBERS
The expedition also included climbers from Oman, the United States, Pakistan and China.
Nadhira Al Harthy became the first Omani woman to summit Everest in 2019. She later climbed K2 and Manaslu, earning recognition as one of the Arab world's leading mountaineers, according to the Oman Observer. Her body has been recovered and transported to Skardu.
American climber Sarah Mallory Geis, a travel photographer and former Pilates studio owner from Texas, had recently left her business to pursue mountaineering full-time. Broad Peak marked her first attempt at an 8,000-metre mountain, according to Climbing Magazine. Her body was recovered by the Pakistan Army after being located using drones.
Pakistani guide Sohail Sakhi, from the Hunza Valley, had climbed Nanga Parbat, K2, Gasherbrum I and Gasherbrum II without supplemental oxygen. Rescue teams recovered his backpack and a damaged GPS tracker, but he remains officially missing.
Chinese climber Wang Zhong had summited Gasherbrum II alongside Purja on July 4, completing his eleventh 8,000-metre mountain. Broad Peak was expected to be his thirteenth summit. He also remains missing.
FIVE BODIES RECOVERED, SEARCH CONTINUES
The Alpine Club of Pakistan confirmed on Sunday that five bodies had been recovered, while search efforts for the remaining climbers were continuing.
"The ground rescue team has reached Nirmal Purja 'Nims Dai' at approximately 5,700 metres on Broad Peak, where three additional bodies have also been sighted," the club said, adding that those bodies had yet to be formally identified.
The recovered bodies were being transported to a Japanese camp before further evacuation. Pakistani authorities have already identified the remains of Yukta Gurung, Nadhira Al Harthy and Sarah Mallory Geis.
Recovery operations continue under extremely difficult conditions because of unstable terrain, persistent avalanche danger and poor weather. Helicopters have been unable to assist, forcing rescue teams to carry out the mission entirely on foot at extreme altitude.
TRIBUTES POUR IN
Nepal Prime Minister Balen Shah described the tragedy as a profound loss for the country, saying the climbers' courage, dedication and contributions would continue to inspire future generations.
Purja's elder brother, Kamal, said the family was heartbroken but immensely proud of his achievements. "Although our hearts are broken, we are incredibly proud of you. Your legacy will live forever," he wrote on social media.
Prince William hailed Purja as one of the world's greatest mountaineers and praised his distinguished service in the British military.
UK Defence Secretary Wes Streeting described Purja as an inspirational figure whose accomplishments had earned worldwide recognition.
Nepal's Airlines Operators Association said the tragedy had deeply affected not only the tourism sector but the nation as a whole.
WHY BROAD PEAK REMAINS ONE OF THE WORLD'S MOST DANGEROUS MOUNTAINS
Located in the Karakoram range near K2, Broad Peak is the world's 12th-highest mountain and among the most technically challenging. Its steep slopes, high avalanche risk and rapidly changing weather frequently complicate both climbing attempts and rescue missions.
The mountain was first climbed in 1957 by Austrian mountaineers Fritz Wintersteller, Marcus Schmuck, Kurt Diemberger and Hermann Buhl. Although many climbers have since reached its summit, dozens have lost their lives on its slopes.
One of the mountain's deadliest seasons came in 2013, when at least six climbers were killed, according to the BBC.
However, the 2026 avalanche stands apart because it wiped out not just six lives but an entire generation of expedition leaders, record holders, route specialists and mentors who had dedicated years to making the world's most dangerous mountains safer for others.
For Nepal's mountaineering industry, the impact extends far beyond the immediate loss of life. It represents the disappearance of decades of hard-earned expertise that cannot be replaced overnight.
