Experts Say Purja's Legacy Both Democratised Mountaineering and Fuelled Its Commercialisation

The deaths of six Nepali guides in an avalanche on Pakistan's Broad Peak have devastated Nepal's mountaineering community, which lost some of its most accomplished climbers. Among the dead was British-Nepali climber Nirmal Purja, 43, who led the expedition and was famed for climbing the world's 14 highest peaks in just over six months. Fellow guide Kili Pemba Sherpa, 46, had recently completed the mountaineering Grand Slam and had twice guided double-leg amputees up Everest.

Pur Bahadur Gurung, 37, had scaled 12 of the 14 peaks and was one of only 100 Nepali guides certified by the International Federation of Mountain Guides Association. The others were Gyaljen Sherpa, who climbed Kanchenjunga three times in one season, Nima Sherpa, 36, and Nawang Thindu Sherpa, a rising guide in his 20s. The loss highlights the growing role of Nepali Sherpas, who have moved beyond being seen as mere aides to become record-setting guides. Purja's exploits, documented in a Netflix film, helped bring Pakistan's Karakoram mountains to wider attention, though the region still attracts only about 15,000 hikers annually compared to over a million in the Himalayas.