Kathmandu: The Nimsdai Foundation, a charity founded by renowned mountaineer Nirmal Purja, has launched a global fundraising campaign to support the families of mountain guides who lost their lives in the recent Broad Peak avalanche in Pakistan.
Purja, popularly known as Nimsdai, was one of the 10 mountaineers who died when an avalanche struck an expedition team attempting Broad Peak in Pakistan last week.
The charity has launched the Broad Peak Guides’ Family Support Fund to provide financial assistance to the families of the mountain guides who were killed in the disaster.
Announcing the initiative, the foundation said the fund was established in the wake of the death of its founder, renowned Nepal-born British mountaineer Nirmal “Nims” Purja, and aims to support the families of the other guides who lost their lives in the tragedy.
“In the midst of our own profound grief following the loss of our founder, Nims Purja, our thoughts remain with every family who has lost a loved one in the Broad Peak avalanche,” the foundation said in a statement.
“This appeal is dedicated to supporting the families of the guides lost in the Broad Peak avalanche (excluding Nims’ family), helping to ease the financial burden they now face and reminding them that the mountain community stands together.”
The foundation noted that behind every mountain guide and expedition team member is a family now facing immense emotional and financial hardship.
It said the initiative reflects Purja’s lifelong belief that the greatest achievements were not only the summits climbers reached but also the lives they touched.
Calling on supporters around the world to contribute, the foundation urged those inspired by Purja’s legacy to honour his memory through acts of compassion. It also encouraged people to share the fundraising appeal to help reach more potential donors.
All 10 members of the Broad Peak expedition team lost their lives in the avalanche. They included Pur Bahadur Gurung “Yukta”, Kili Pemba Sherpa “Kilu”, Nima Sherpa, Nawang Thindu Sherpa and Gyalu Sherpa from Nepal; Nadhira Ahmed Abdullah Al Harthy of Oman; Sohail Sakhi of Pakistan; Wang Zhong of China; Mallory Geis of the United States; and Purja.
Purja, a former British Gurkha soldier, rose to global prominence in 2019 after climbing all 14 of the world’s 8,000-metre peaks in just over six months under his “Project Possible,” shattering the previous record of nearly eight years.
By summiting Broad Peak, he had hoped to become the first person in history to climb all 14 eight-thousanders twice. The goal motivated him to attempt the mountain, but the expedition ended in tragedy when he and the other climbers were killed in the avalanche.
Meanwhile, in a separate statement issued on Wednesday, Elite Exped, the company founded by Purja, confirmed that the bodies of Purja, Wang Zhong, Nima Sherpa and Kili Pemba Sherpa had been recovered from Broad Peak and brought to the mountain’s Base Camp following what it described as an exceptionally challenging recovery operation.
The expedition company said the recovery mission was led by Mingma G and supported by Pakistani climber Sirbaz Khan and other members of the ground recovery team. It praised the team’s courage, professionalism and selfless commitment in carrying out the mission.
“Bringing Nims home was never just about recovering a climber. It was about bringing home a husband, a father, a son, a brother, a friend, and the heart of Elite Exped, Nimsdai Foundation, Nimsdai Store and Skydive Nimsdai,” the statement said.
(IANS)
