Nirmal Purja (Nimsdai): An Incredible Mountaineering Hero

Introduction

Nirmal Purja, popularly known as Nimsdai, is a Nepali mountaineer whose extraordinary achievements have rewritten the record books of high-altitude mountaineering. Known for his ascent of 14 peaks above 8,000 meters in just 6 months and 6 days, his feats challenged the conventional wisdom of mountaineering. Purja, a former Gurkha British Army officer, has created the story of courage, passion, and relentless pursuit of excellence. He has elevated Nepal’s legacy in global mountaineering and inspired millions worldwide through his achievements. In honor of his bravery and courage, Biograph Nepal presents the biography of Nirmal Purja (Nimsdai).

Quick Facts

• Full Name: Nirmal Purja (Nimsdai)
• Born: July 25, 1983, • Myagdi District, Nepal
• Nationality: Non-Resident Nepali Citizenship
• Parent: N/A
• Spouse: Suchi Purja
• Children: Himani Purja
• Occupation: British Gurkha Army
• Known for: World Recorder Mountaineer (Ascent 14 peaks over 8,000 m. in 186 days)
• Foundation: Nims Dai Trust

Early Life

Many people believe that Nirmal Purja is a Sherpa from Nepal, so he easily crossed the heights of the vast Himalayas and set an unprecedented world record. However, he does not belong to the Sherpa ethnicity; he is actually a descendant of the Indigenous Magar community, the third most populous ethnic group in Nepal. Nirmal is his name, and Purja is his caste (surname) within the Magar ethnicity.

Nirmal Purja was born on July 25, 1983, in the small village of Dana in Myagdi District, Nepal. He was born into a modest farming family in the hilly area of Nepal but grew up in the Terai region in the Chitwan district. Despite his humble beginnings, Purja’s early life was marked by determination and resilience. His family’s emphasis on discipline and hard work played a significant role in shaping his character.

Education

Nirmal received his primary education in his hometown. Despite limited resources, he displayed a natural aptitude for physical activities and problem-solving. His interest in adventure and challenges would later steer him toward a career in the military, where he gained invaluable skills and discipline that laid the foundation for his mountaineering success.

Nimsdai’s three brothers were Gurkha soldiers, so they helped him in his early education. However, being a remote district resident with various family problems, he could not continue his higher studies. Nirmal showed more interest in sports and other adventurous activities during his schooling than in his studies. Therefore, he also became proficient in martial arts. With his brothers’ help and his military service achievement, he attended Loughborough University (England), where he completed a Post Graduate Diploma in Security Management in 2014.

Career Beginnings

The Indigenous people of Nepal are historically considered brave for military service, so the practice of many youths joining the British or Indian Gurkhas was widespread in Nepal in the past. Following the same practice, Nirmal’s three brothers joined the Gurkha army. Nirmal also had a passion for joining the British Gurkhas when he saw other friends joining. Fulfilling this desire and passing the difficult test, he was recruited into the British Gurkha Brigade in 2003.

Nirmal Purja’s professional journey began when he joined the British Gurkhas at age 18, a prestigious regiment renowned for its bravery and discipline. Later, he became a member of the UK Special Boat Service (SBS), one of the world’s most elite special forces units. During his tenure, he undertook covert operations and specialized training in extreme environments, honing his survival skills and physical endurance.

Life Journey

Army life

In military service, Nirmal Purja spent 16 years of his life performing the role of a highly brave and courageous soldier and retired from there in 2019. He spent 6 years as a Ghurka and 10 years with the UK Special Forces (SBS), which, along with the SAS, is considered the most elite unit in the British Army.

During this time, he also received many honors for his bravery in military service. This is the story of a brave man and his unparalleled contribution. During his 16 years in the military, he set a unique example of loyalty, courage, and sacrifice for his country. Not only did he perform his duty, but he received many awards for excellence and bravery.

First Dream of Mountaineering

Nirmal Purja’s early mountaineering story is equally interesting. Perhaps he never imagined that one day he would become a world-famous mountaineer by scaling all the world’s highest mountains at a rapid pace. This is considered challenging even for the Sherpa guides who constantly play in the mountains. He was beyond the Sherpa ethnicity and grew up in Terai. But in the meantime, he had a seemingly impossible dream, which he quickly and truly made true.

In December 2012, he came to Nepal on vacation and went on a fun trekking trip to Everest Base Camp. During the trek, he was not only satisfied with the view of the Himalayas but also had many dreams about the mountains there. His soul was not satisfied by just walking at the foot of the Himalayas, so he started imagining how lucky he would be to reach the summit of those mountains. During the trek, he had the opportunity to clear many questions from the guides and locals.

Immediately after that, he returned to Kathmandu and made arrangements to fulfill his initial mountaineering dream. Then, without training but with the help of an experienced guide, he succeeded in climbing the 6119-meter-high Lobuche mountain. This was the first but important step in his mountaineering life, which inspired him to continue his journey.

Consecutive series of 8000-Meter ascent

After completing the climb of the six thousand-meter-high Lobuche peak without training, his courage to climb the mountain increased even more. It can be believed that the rigorous training experience and strength he received in his military life also gave him the energy to climb the mountain easily. Therefore, he started weaving a new dream of playing in the Himalayas along with his military life. As a result, keeping the dignity of his job, he started climbing the Himalayas whenever he got the opportunity.

With the success of this low peak, a new passion for mountaineering was born in him. So, Two years later, in 2014, he climbed the Dhaulagiri Himalaya in just 15 days, making him the first to climb an eight-thousand-meter mountain.

Then, on May 13, 2016, he climbed Mount Everest. Not only that, a year later, he led a team of 13 Gurkha soldiers to the summit to commemorate 200 years of Gurkha service in the British Army. He set the first world record in a series of mountaineering expeditions by summiting the Lhotse and Makalu, which were 8 thousand in height after 5 days of Everest ascent.

In 2018, Nirmal left the army to focus on his mountaineering career, as he did not think it possible to devote time to both. However, the same year, he was awarded the MBE, the highest honor bestowed by the British emperor, for his outstanding work in high-altitude mountaineering.

Ambitious mission to climb all 14 peaks above 8,000 in 186 days

These successes inspired Nirmal Purja (Nimsdai) to dream bigger. In 2019, he embarked on Project Possible 14/7, a bold goal to climb all 14 peaks above 8,000m within seven months – a challenge many thought to be unattainable. Yet, with unwavering focus and determination, he silenced the doubters and exceeded expectations, completing the mission in 6 months and 6 days. This achievement shattered the previous record of almost eight years, redefined the limits of human capability in mountaineering, and left an indelible mark on the history of adventure sports.

He successfully climbed 14 peaks above 8,000 meters in 186 days and filmed the entire process of setting a world record. Because he suspected that no matter how high he achieved success, people would not believe him and that his hard work would be wasted. That is why his amazing film has become an interesting visual material for today’s world. The film is available to people around the world through Netflix.

The following table presents all of Purja’s ascents of eight-thousander peaks:

Source: Wikipedia

Challenges and Struggles

Nirmal Purja’s life story is as interesting to read or listen to as it is full of challenges and problems. Just as his childhood was full of challenges and poverty, the story of his mountain climbing was no less painful. Financial scarcity was a major obstacle in his mission. Lack of money forced him to sell many of his hard-earned possessions.
Initially, people did not believe in his ability to succeed in this ambitious project, and no party was available to sponsor the campaign. However, he did not lose courage and continued to move forward in his mission no matter what.

Although Nirmal worked for 16 years, it is not known how much he could save from it. But one sad fact is that he has seriously mentioned the pain of financial deprivation in his website and writings. Living in poverty as a child was not so unreasonable at that time. But even as he advanced in his Himalayan climbing mission, he obliged that he had to make do with a normal camera instead of a drone camera. He realized he began receiving sponsorship offers only after the mission began to succeed, which initially started with many problems.

It is unnecessary to say much about the physical suffering during mountaineering. As everyone knows, Himalayan climbing is a challenging struggle that cannot be achieved normally. It would take a book to explain how often he faced hunger, thirst, extreme weather conditions, avalanches, and life-threatening situations during these dozens of ascents. Despite all these obstacles, his unwavering determination, patriotism, and military training enabled him to persevere.

Contributions and Major Achievements

World Records

• Fastest ascent of all 14 eight-thousanders (6 months, 6 days).
• First to summit Mount Everest, Lhotse, and Makalu within 48 hours.
• Part of the first Nepali team to summit K2 in winter (2021).
• In 2024, became the fastest person to climb all 14 peaks without supplemental oxygen, in 2 years, 4 months, and 28 days
• Fastest summit of the world’s three highest mountains: Everest, K2, and Kangchenjunga
• Next, fastest summit of the world’s five highest mountains: Everest, K2, Kangchenjunga, Lhotse, and Makalu
• fastest ascent of Gasherbrum 1, 2, and Broad Peak.
• Climbed these three peaks in eight days, 23 hours, and 10 minutes without supplemental oxygen
• Some more

Please note that, some world records have been broken by others over time.

Advocacy for Nepal

Nirmal Purja (Nimsdai) has been a vocal advocate for recognizing the contributions of Nepalese climbers and Sherpas in the global mountaineering community. His efforts have brought attention to Nepal’s rich mountaineering heritage.

Books and Films

• Book: “Beyond Possible: One Soldier, Fourteen Peaks—My Life In The Death Zone” recounts his journey.
• Documentary: Netflix’s “14 Peaks: Nothing Is Impossible” showcases his record-breaking expeditions.

Popularity and Controversy

As much as one feels inspired and proud when reading or listening to the achievements of Nirmal Purja in his life, some controversial incidents associated with this success make people sad and make them think.

Not only in his fans, not only in Nepal because of his birth, but also because he achieved more than a dozen world records in mountaineering, he became famous among mountaineers worldwide. He not only reached the highest peaks of the world but also achieved the highest peak of popularity in life. However, some references and incidents made public in various media are difficult to digest with pure human feeling.

A few years ago, the incident of his mistreatment of 2 female colleagues during a mountaineering trip was made public everywhere, from internationally renowned media to local media, which disappointed and saddened his colleagues, well-wishers, and supporters. If all of these incidents are true, we would like to express our heartfelt sympathy to the affected women and wish that no woman visiting the Himalayan region in the future will have to suffer like this.

However, Biograph Nepal has no research-based report on the seriousness and truth of these incidents. Also, It is not under its policy to expose the shortcomings of someone’s personal life because this site was created to express gratitude for their contributions and achievements of people, not to criticize. If there are justice issues, that may be a matter for the court; we are not able to analyze such issues.

Whatever happened should not have happened

However, according to media reports, what happened should not have happened. This is unfortunate because the Himalayas should be safe and respectful for everyone. No matter which country they are located in, the Himalayas are the common heritage of the world human community. Therefore, the Himalayas should be safe and accessible for everyone, whether a woman, a porter, or a tourist. If such incidents or publicity had not occurred, the greatest success of the world’s rising icon would not have been tarnished.

These are not the only incidents related to Nirmal. Some allegations and doubts about his record of achieving success without oxygen have been made public. Whether they are true or not is a different matter. Apart from this, in 2024, Nirmal revealed an incident of rope cutting while climbing Mount Everest. The Nepal government sought clarification from him or warned him not to make any reckless statements about mountaineering.

These tragic incidents saddened everyone who wanted to see Nirmal Purja’s success and happiness. But Nirmal has denied that all these incidents are just accusations made to defame him. He still seems to be moving forward, emphasizing the importance of strategy to achieve his goals in various projects.

Social Life

Nirmal Purja (Nimsdai) has not only been earning money and fame recently but has also made some policies to contribute to society. Some work has been started to focus on serving the suffering mountain climbers, porters, and other affected human communities. He has also established the Nims Dai Trust to further his social service, through which the fund will be used to carry out works for the welfare of society and promote Himalayan climbing.

Nirmal is concerned about the cleanliness of the Himalayan region and is involved in efforts to protect the environment by advocating for its sustainable development. He has also carried out some Himalayan cleaning projects for a few years.

Apart from this, Nims Dai has also worked in the past, risking his life to rescue people trapped during mountain climbing. He is also involved in a campaign to provide relief to the problems of porters working in the Himalayas. Nims Dai’s organization has also been working to provide necessary support and sympathy to those who have died while climbing mountains and their family members. Thus, it is seen that he plans to spend the rest of his life in various social service activities.

Personal and Family Life

Apart from being a soldier and a mountaineer, Nirmal Purja also has his own family life. He also misses his relatives and parents in Nepal a lot. Nirmal Purja’s wife is Suchi Purja, who is a staunch supporter of his mission and efforts. It is said that she is also a daughter of British Gurkhas. They mostly live in the UK, but they love Nepal just as much and visit Nepal frequently. Both of them have also worked together on various charitable projects. Overall, their family life is happy, and they seem to have overcome various challenges and moved forward.

Legacy (World Recognition)

Nirmal Purja’s legacy is one of breaking barriers and redefining human potential. His achievements have elevated Nepal to the heights of the mountaineering world and inspired a new generation of adventurers. He has captured the attention of mountaineering enthusiasts worldwide; through his records, writings, and advocacy, he leaves an indelible mark on the world.
As a former British soldier, he is also a proud citizen of that country. He has not only found employment there but also received many honors for his bravery and courage during his military service.

More importantly, and perhaps the highest honor of his life, he has also received a Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (MBE), which is awarded to individuals who have made courageous contributions or achieved something outstanding in their community. The MBE is the third highest rank in the Order of the British Empire, after the CBE, and is one that very few people achieve.

It remains to be seen how the world will appreciate Nirmal’s bravery and courage in the Himalayas and where his campaign will take him in the future. He is still young, and his success story is still a recent one, which takes time to become concrete history. The main thing is that he is now among the top 10 mountaineers in the world. His high level of bravery and inspiration are remarkable.

Summary

Nirmal Purja’s life is a testament to resilience, determination, and the power of vision. From his humble beginnings in Nepal to becoming a global icon, his story inspires countless others to dream big and push boundaries. As a mountaineer, writer, and advocate, Purja has established himself as one of the greatest adventurers ever. However, to maintain these heights and remain an unblemished Himalayan hero, he still needs to make some adjustments.
Biograph Nepal wishes Nirmal Purja (Nimsdai) all success and good health, and thanks to all readers who visit this site.

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