Broad Peak Avalanche: The Growing Role of Nepali Sherpas in Pakistan Amid ‘Fourteen Peaks’ Fame
Image source, Getty Images
The Nepali mountaineering community recalls last Thursday’s Broad Peak avalanche as the most significant tragedy abroad in decades, while interest grows in the expanding role of Nepali climbers in Pakistan.
On Saturday, Nepali expedition managers confirmed the deaths of all 10 team members, including several foreign climbers who had been missing for two days.
Experts highlight the need to understand this incident, which cost the lives of six Nepalis, within the wider context of the ‘Fourteen Peaks’ record and the global deployment of the Nepali Sherpa community in Pakistan.
The challenge of climbing all 14 mountains exceeding 8,000 meters is known as the ‘Fourteen Peaks’ project, historically considered an arduous feat that was not expected to be completed quickly until Nirmal ‘Nimsdai’ Purja shattered assumptions.
Purja, born in Nepal and a former member of the British Special Boat Service (SBS), completed the ‘Fourteen Peaks’ climb in half a year in 2019, a task previously estimated to take years.
South Korean climber Kim Chang-ho completed the 14 peaks in seven years, ten months, and six days.
Kim’s record stood undefeated for a decade. Legendary climber Reinhold Messner took nearly 16 years to complete the ‘Fourteen Peaks’.
Purja’s 189-day record became globally renowned through a Netflix documentary.
Purja’s demonstration of the feasibility of the ‘Fourteen Peaks’ accelerated the mountaineering world forward at unprecedented pace.
Ishwari Paudel, Acting Chairperson of the Nepal Mountaineering Association, stated, “There is no doubt that Nimsdai was the key driving force behind the ‘Fourteen Peaks’. His contributions have made Pakistan a major workplace for Nepali Sherpas outside Nepal.”
To pursue the ‘Fourteen Peaks’ challenge, climbers must visit Pakistan, which hosts five of the world’s 14 highest mountains: K2 (8,611 meters), Nanga Parbat (8,126 meters), Gasherbrum I (8,080 meters), Broad Peak (8,051 meters), and Gasherbrum II (8,035 meters).
In 2023, Norwegian Kristin Harila and Sherpa Tenzing Lama nearly broke Purja’s record by achieving the climbs in half the time. Tenzing Lama tragically died in an avalanche during an ascent of Shishapangma in Tibet that same year.
Nepal: The Second Largest Sherpa Market Outside Everest
Image source, International Space Station
Khimlal Gautam, author of ‘Fifteenth Peak’ and a member of the Everest measurement team, describes Pakistan as “the second largest Sherpa workplace outside Nepal.”
Gautam remarks, “Nepali Sherpas have guided expeditions across mountains in Europe, the Americas, and even Antarctica.”
According to Ishwari Paudel, “Without the ‘Fourteen Peaks’, K2 in Pakistan would have garnered more attention as the second highest peak, but other mountains would have remained relatively unnoticed.”
Purja’s first ‘Fourteen Peaks’ ascent was termed ‘Project Possible’.
Paudel adds, “Purja’s success inspired many Sherpas and foreigners to take on this Himalayan challenge, leading to a rise in expeditions in Pakistan.”
Many Sherpas have now completed the ‘Fourteen Peaks’ while fixing ropes, establishing routes, and guiding foreign climbers, often becoming key parts of these international expeditions.
As Sherpas are essential for foreign climbers, Pakistan’s mountaineering market has expanded significantly.
Paudel emphasizes, “This growth not only provides employment for Nepalis in Pakistan but also brings a new dimension to professional mountaineering worldwide.”
From Everest Downtime to Pakistan Seasons
Pakistan generally has only one climbing season annually. Its steep, technical mountains make expeditions particularly risky.
Sherpas commonly work on Everest and Nepal’s high peaks in the spring season.
With the onset of the monsoon, many Sherpas schedule work trips to Pakistan.
In autumn, they return to Nepal to take part in expeditions on peaks such as Manaslu and Ama Dablam.
Purja had shared on social media his aim to break records twice on the Broad Peak without supplementary oxygen, aiming to be the first to complete all 14 peaks three times.
Alongside Purja, Kili Pemba Sherpa, who also died in the Broad Peak incident, had successfully climbed Nanga Parbat about a month prior and was listed among the ‘Fourteen Peaks’ climbers.
At that time, his company, Imagine Nepal, welcomed him into an elite group of mountaineers.
Image source, Getty Images
Mingma G, Chairman of Imagine Nepal, has completed the ‘Fourteen Peaks’ without oxygen. He praised Kili Pemba’s unwavering dedication to mountaineering on Facebook.
Purba Bahadur Gurung ‘Yukta’ had two peaks remaining to complete the ‘Fourteen Peaks’. He successfully climbed three 8,000-meter peaks in Nepal during the last spring season.
The Sherpa Legacy in Pakistan
Maya Sherpa, Chairperson of the Everest Mountaineers Association, climbed K2 in Pakistan in 2014.
Maya Sherpa explained, “A few years ago, Nepal’s Seven Summit Treks initiated plans for ‘Fourteen Peaks’ expeditions, opening pathways for Nepali Sherpas to work extensively in Pakistan.”
“Initially, few climbs were possible and fewer Sherpas participated, but now four to five companies regularly conduct expeditions there annually.”
According to her, Nepali companies collaborate with Pakistani firms and some local Pakistani climbers are involved, but for high-altitude work the majority are Nepali Sherpas.
Maya notes that while there are some Pakistani guides, their numbers are far less than Sherpas. A decade ago, seeing Sherpas in Pakistani mountains was rare, but now the presence of Sherpas is prominent.
Image source, Nimsdai Purja
The successful first winter ascent of K2 in 2021, including Nimsdai Purja and other Sherpas, set a new benchmark for the community.
This renowned expedition was a collaborative effort among three companies—Elite Expeditions, Seven Summit Treks, and Imagine Nepal—all of which lost members in the recent tragedy.
With expanding opportunities in Pakistan, Sherpas find it easier not only to guide but to pursue record-setting climbs.
Several Nepali companies now regularly manage entire expeditions in Pakistan.
Climbers report that expedition management in Pakistan is not as straightforward as Nepal’s due to the terrain and logistical challenges.
Nima Rinzing Sherpa, a young ‘Fourteen Peaks’ climber, explained that unlike Nepal, where base camps can be reached by village trails, climbers in Pakistan must build camps en route and rely heavily on strengthening relationships for supplies transported by horses and mules.
Nima said, “Expeditions follow an old-style approach where nothing is pre-arranged, and everything must be self-procured.”
Ishwari Paudel highlighted that Nepali companies’ ongoing commercial expeditions in such difficult terrains have made ‘Fourteen Peaks’ climbs more accessible and affordable.
Despite persistent internal and external conflicts in Pakistan, climbers say Nepalis are trusted and seen as neutral parties.
International Demand for Sherpas
Medhavi Gulati, a Sherpa researcher and professor at Punjab University in India, states that there are no guides abroad with the same expertise and high-level skills as Nepali Sherpas.
Gulati explains, “Because of their long history with high-altitude climbs and diverse Himalayan environments, Sherpas are preferred over local guides. While ethnic groups like the Hunza exist in Pakistan, the global mountaineering community places unparalleled trust in Sherpas.”
“The global recognition Sherpas have gained through their work in the Hindu Kush-Karakoram-Himalaya region has imparted new identity and structure to mountaineering in the area.”
The ‘Fourteen Peaks’ comprise 14 mountains over 8,000 meters, including Everest, K2, Kanchenjunga, Lhotse, Makalu, Cho Oyu, Dhaulagiri I, Manaslu, Nanga Parbat, Annapurna I, Gasherbrum I, Broad Peak, Gasherbrum II, and Shishapangma.
Gulati notes, “When Nimsdai Purja devised the ‘Fourteen Peaks’ plan, he took Nepali Sherpas and companies as partners and companions, solidifying their trust. His success further strengthened this identity.”
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