On a Thursday in the high Karakoram, the mountain spoke in the language it has always spoken — sudden, indifferent, and total. An avalanche on Broad Peak silenced a ten-person expedition led by Nirmal Purja, the Nepali mountaineer whose record-breaking ascents of all 14 eight-thousanders had made him a symbol of human audacity at altitude. The Alpine Club of Pakistan confirmed the loss of communication, and the world now waits in the particular helplessness that only the high peaks can impose — where rescue is not a matter of will, but of weather.
Renowned Nepali climber 'Nimsdai' among 10 missing after Broadpeak avalanche
Ten climbers are missing and presumed at risk following an avalanche on Broad Peak; their current status and survival remain unknown.
The team lost all communication immediately after the snow collapsed.
Mark
What makes Broad Peak particularly dangerous compared to other eight-thousanders?
Mimi
It's not just the altitude. Broad Peak is notorious for unstable snow and ice conditions. Avalanches can come without warning, and the terrain offers limited shelter. Climbers are exposed on multiple sections of the route.
Mark
Purja has summited all 14 eight-thousanders. He knows mountain risk better than almost anyone. How does that change what we're thinking about right now?
Mimi
It doesn't change the physics of an avalanche. Experience and preparation reduce risk, but they don't eliminate it. Even the best climbers are vulnerable to sudden, large-scale snow collapse. That's what makes this so stark—it's not about skill failing.
Mark
The team lost communication immediately. What does that tell us?
Mimi
It suggests the avalanche was large and sudden enough to scatter or bury the team, or damage their equipment. If they were sheltering together, they might have been separated. If they had radios or satellite phones, those could be damaged or buried too.
Mark
How long can climbers survive at that altitude without shelter or supplies?
Mimi
Hours, not days. At 8,000 meters, the body is dying. Exposure, altitude sickness, cold—these kill quickly. Rescue has to happen fast, and weather has to cooperate.
Mark
What does a rescue operation actually look like in the Karakoram?
Mimi
Helicopters can only fly in good weather. Ground teams would need to be positioned or flown in. But you can't land a helicopter at 8,000 meters. You're talking about lower-altitude insertions, then climbers moving up on foot to search. It's slow, it's dangerous, and it depends entirely on the weather window.
Mark
Is there any precedent for survivors being found after an avalanche at that altitude?
Mimi
Yes, but it's rare and it requires luck—being buried in a pocket of air, being found quickly, being able to descend. Most avalanche victims at extreme altitude don't survive.
Il Polso
- An avalanche on 8,047-meter Broad Peak cut off all communication from a ten-person multinational climbing team, leaving rescuers with no signal, no location, and no confirmation of survival.
- Among the missing is Nirmal 'Nimsdai' Purja — record-holder, Netflix subject, and leader of the first-ever winter ascent of K2 — making this disappearance a seismic moment for the global mountaineering community.
- The team's multinational composition — climbers from Nepal, Pakistan, Oman, the United States, and China — means the silence is reverberating across families and governments on multiple continents.
- Helicopter rescue operations have been mobilized, but the Karakoram's remoteness and volatile weather mean that access to the mountain may remain impossible for days, stretching every hour of uncertainty further.
- The climbing world, rescue coordinators, and the families of ten people are now suspended in a waiting that the mountain alone controls — with no answers yet about whether anyone survived the initial collapse.
On a Thursday in the high Karakoram, the mountain spoke in the language it has always spoken — sudden, indifferent, and total. An avalanche on Broad Peak silenced a ten-person expedition led by Nirmal Purja, the Nepali mountaineer whose record-breaking ascents of all 14 eight-thousanders had made him a symbol of human audacity at altitude. The Alpine Club of Pakistan confirmed the loss of communication, and the world now waits in the particular helplessness that only the high peaks can impose — where rescue is not a matter of will, but of weather.
A climbing expedition on Broad Peak in Pakistan's Karakoram range went silent Thursday after an avalanche swept through the team. Among the ten unaccounted for is Nirmal Purja — known as Nimsdai — a 43-year-old Nepali mountaineer whose achievements have made him one of the most recognized figures in high-altitude climbing. The Alpine Club of Pakistan confirmed the incident, stating that all communication was lost the moment the snow collapsed.
The team was a multinational effort: five Nepali climbers including Purja, alongside climbers from Pakistan, Oman, the United States, and China. Purja was leading. The club said helicopter rescue and available resources were being mobilized, though weather in that remote region would determine when help could realistically arrive.
Purja's record in mountaineering is remarkable by any measure. In 2019, he climbed all 14 peaks above 8,000 meters in just six months and six days, setting a world record. A former member of Britain's Brigade of Gurkhas and the Royal Marines' Special Boat Squadron, his story became the subject of a 2021 Netflix documentary. That same year, he led the first-ever winter ascent of K2.
Broad Peak, at 8,047 meters, is among the world's most dangerous mountains, where avalanches are a constant and unpredictable hazard. Since Thursday evening, no information has emerged about the condition or location of any of the ten missing climbers. Rescue in the Karakoram is inherently difficult — the terrain is remote, skies must be clear for helicopters to fly, and clarity may not come for days. The waiting now belongs to families, to the climbing community, and to coordinators who can only prepare until the mountain allows them in.
A climbing expedition on Broad Peak in Pakistan's Karakoram range went silent on Thursday after an avalanche swept through the team. Among the ten people unaccounted for is Nirmal Purja, a 43-year-old Nepali mountaineer known by the nickname Nimsdai, whose record-breaking climbs have made him one of the world's most recognizable figures in high-altitude mountaineering. The Alpine Club of Pakistan confirmed the incident late that evening, saying the team had lost all communication immediately after the snow collapsed.
The expedition was a multinational effort. Five climbers were Nepali, including Purja. The remaining five came from Pakistan, Oman, the United States, and China. Purja was leading the team. The club said every effort was being made to mobilize helicopter rescue and available resources, though weather and operational conditions in that remote region would determine when and how quickly help could reach them.
Purja's record in mountaineering is extraordinary. Between April and October 2019, he climbed all 14 peaks on Earth that rise above 8,000 meters—a feat that took him six months and six days and set a world record at the time. Before that, he had served in Britain's Brigade of Gurkhas and later with the Royal Marines' Special Boat Squadron. His climbing achievements became the subject of a Netflix documentary, "14 Peaks: Nothing is Impossible," released in 2021. That same year, Purja led a team of nine other Nepali climbers to complete the first winter ascent of K2, one of the world's deadliest mountains.
Broad Peak, where the avalanche occurred, stands at 8,047 meters. It is one of the world's most dangerous mountains, and avalanches are a constant hazard for teams attempting its summit. The silence from the expedition since Thursday evening has left rescuers and the climbing community with no information about the condition or location of any of the ten missing climbers. Rescue operations in the Karakoram are inherently difficult—the region is remote, weather is unpredictable, and helicopter access depends on clear skies and visibility that may not come for days.
The waiting now falls to families, to the climbing community, and to rescue coordinators who must prepare for operations that may not be possible until conditions improve. What happened to Purja's team in those moments when the snow gave way remains unknown. Whether any of the ten survived the initial avalanche, whether they are sheltering somewhere on the mountain, or whether they were carried down the slope—these questions have no answers yet. The focus is on mobilizing every available resource to reach them as soon as the mountain permits.
Citazioni salienti
The entire team has reportedly been out of communication since the avalanche.— Alpine Club of Pakistan
Every possible effort is being made to ensure that helicopter support and all available rescue resources are mobilised at the earliest opportunity, subject to weather and operational conditions.— Alpine Club of Pakistan
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