{"id":1935,"date":"2026-08-04T23:00:08","date_gmt":"2026-08-04T23:00:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.asianewscast.com\/?p=1935"},"modified":"2026-08-04T23:00:08","modified_gmt":"2026-08-04T23:00:08","slug":"how-a-generation-of-record-setting-guides-died-in-a-disaster-that-killed-a-climbing-legend","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.asianewscast.com\/?p=1935","title":{"rendered":"How a generation of record-setting guides died in a disaster that killed a climbing legend"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"ssrcss-15twdc6-Stack e1y4nx260\">\n<div data-block=\"headline\" class=\"ssrcss-l7emlr-ComponentWrapper e1aon0op1\"><\/div>\n<div data-block=\"image\" class=\"ssrcss-l7emlr-ComponentWrapper e1aon0op1\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-126h8e-Spacer e1aon0op0\">\n<div data-testid=\"image\" class=\"ssrcss-1uy5kw5-FullWidthWrapper ep2nwvo1\">\n<figure class=\"ssrcss-hc6arm-StyledFigure e34k3c22\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-ab5fd8-StyledFigureContainer e34k3c21\"><span class=\"ssrcss-orwe8-Placeholder etlorgc0\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"British-Nepali climber Nirmal Purja\" src=\"https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/ace\/standard\/999\/cpsprodpb\/8945\/live\/5bb99010-8fe0-11f1-bb3b-43bf44dc94d9.jpg\" width=\"999\" height=\"562\" class=\"ssrcss-egie1y-Image edrdn950\"><\/span><span role=\"text\" class=\"ssrcss-tzgxt7-StyledFigureCopyright e34k3c20\"><span class=\"visually-hidden ssrcss-i2z2ig-VisuallyHidden e16en2lz0\">Image source, <\/span>PA<\/span><\/div><figcaption class=\"ssrcss-3uli8u-StyledFigureCaption ehbdhz00\"><span class=\"visually-hidden ssrcss-i2z2ig-VisuallyHidden e16en2lz0\">Image caption, <\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-15twdc6-Stack e1y4nx260\">\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">British-Nepali climber Nirmal Purja, who led the Broad Peak expedition, was best known for speed climbing the &#8220;14 peaks&#8221;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-block=\"byline\" class=\"ssrcss-vxwoax-ComponentWrapper e1aon0op1\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-126h8e-Spacer e1aon0op0\">\n<div data-testid=\"multi-byline\"><span class=\"visually-hidden ssrcss-i2z2ig-VisuallyHidden e16en2lz0\">By<\/span><span><span class=\"ssrcss-16u1n8p-TextContributorName epw3ir01\">Kelly Ng<\/span><span class=\"ssrcss-1ai8n1t-Text e1xjs3jz0\"><span aria-hidden=\"true\">,\u00a0<\/span><span class=\"visually-hidden ssrcss-i2z2ig-VisuallyHidden e16en2lz0\">Reporting from<\/span>Singapore<\/span><\/span><span><span class=\"ssrcss-1ai8n1t-Text e1xjs3jz0\">\u00a0<!-- -->and<!-- -->\u00a0<\/span><span class=\"ssrcss-16u1n8p-TextContributorName epw3ir01\">Pradeep Bashyal<\/span><span class=\"ssrcss-1ai8n1t-Text e1xjs3jz0\"><span aria-hidden=\"true\">,\u00a0<\/span>BBC Nepali<\/span><span class=\"ssrcss-1ai8n1t-Text e1xjs3jz0\"><span aria-hidden=\"true\">,\u00a0<\/span><span class=\"visually-hidden ssrcss-i2z2ig-VisuallyHidden e16en2lz0\">Reporting from<\/span>Kathmandu<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-block=\"metadata\" class=\"ssrcss-l7emlr-ComponentWrapper e1aon0op1\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-126h8e-Spacer e1aon0op0\">\n<div data-testid=\"metadata\">\n<div>\n<ul role=\"list\" class=\"ssrcss-9tw7r1-MetadataStripContainer eh44mf03\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-10q9h22-GroupChildrenForWrapping eh44mf02\">\n<li role=\"listitem\" class=\"ssrcss-sf7vdp-MetadataStripItem eh44mf01\">\n<div class=\"visually-hidden ssrcss-i2z2ig-VisuallyHidden e16en2lz0\">Published<\/div>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-m5j4pi-MetadataContent eh44mf00\"><span class=\"ssrcss-1pvwv4b-MetadataSnippet e4wm5bw3\"><span class=\"ssrcss-61mhsj-MetadataText e4wm5bw1\"><time data-testid=\"timestamp\" datetime=\"2026-08-04T22:09:50.912Z\">50 minutes ago<\/time><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/div>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-block=\"text\" class=\"ssrcss-vxwoax-ComponentWrapper e1aon0op1\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-126h8e-Spacer e1aon0op0\">\n<div data-testid=\"rich-text\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-nqezkk-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi1\">\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\"><b class=\"ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3\">Altogether, they summited Mount Everest dozens of times and achieved numerous feats previously thought impossible &#8211; like climbing 8,000m peaks without supplemental oxygen and scaling K2, one of the world&#8217;s most lethal mountains, in the dead of winter.<\/b><\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">But beyond these accomplishments, the six Nepalis who died in an avalanche on Pakistan&#8217;s Broad Peak last week also elevated the world&#8217;s recognition of Nepali mountain guides, or Sherpas, who had previously been seen as mere aides.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">Among those killed was <a href=\"\/news\/articles\/clyljq79kdko\" class=\"ssrcss-1e0jzsh-InlineLink e1kn3p7n0\">the decorated British-Nepali climber Nirmal Purja<\/a>, best known for climbing the world&#8217;s 14 highest peaks, rising above 8,000m (26,246 ft), in just over six months.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">Their fellow guides say their deaths deal a devastating blow to Nepal&#8217;s mountaineering community.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-block=\"subheadline\" class=\"ssrcss-vxwoax-ComponentWrapper e1aon0op1\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-usmnse-Spacer e1aon0op0\">\n<div data-testid=\"subheadline\">\n<h2 id=\"Best-of-his-generation\" class=\"ssrcss-1sc9t00-Heading e10rt3ze0\"><span role=\"text\">&#8216;Best of his generation&#8217;<\/span><\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-block=\"text\" class=\"ssrcss-vxwoax-ComponentWrapper e1aon0op1\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-126h8e-Spacer e1aon0op0\">\n<div data-testid=\"rich-text\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-nqezkk-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi1\">\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">Purja, 43, also known as Nims, was the leading figure of the 10-member international team up Broad Peak, the world&#8217;s 12th highest mountain, when the avalanche struck.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">&#8220;Nims of course was iconic and undisputedly amongst the best of his generation,&#8221; says Ben Ayers, a longtime Everest reporter for Outside Magazine.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">Kili Pemba Sherpa and Pur Bahadur Gurung, who were also guiding the Broad Peak expedition, were &#8220;strong climbers with a solid resume&#8221;, Ayers said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">Kili Pemba, 46, had just earned the coveted mountaineering Grand Slam after completing his last of the 14 highest peaks, also known as eight-thousanders, in early July.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">Even before this crowning achievement, he was already among the best in the industry having been part of the Nepali team, led again by Purja, that completed the first winter ascent of K2 in January 2021.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">At the time, K2, the world&#8217;s second highest peak, was the only one of the eight-thousanders not yet climbed in winter. But at 8,611m, K2 is known to be steeper, more unpredictable and deadlier than Everest (8,849m).<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">Many have described Kili Pemba as humble and deeply committed in serving his clients. Two of the 15 times he summited Everest he did so guiding double-leg amputees up the mountain. <\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">&#8220;That was the toughest task for any guide, [Kili Pemba] did that with a lot of care,&#8221; says Gyanendra Shrestha, a government official who was at Base Camp during one of these climbs.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-block=\"image\" class=\"ssrcss-l7emlr-ComponentWrapper e1aon0op1\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-126h8e-Spacer e1aon0op0\">\n<div data-testid=\"image\" class=\"ssrcss-1uy5kw5-FullWidthWrapper ep2nwvo1\">\n<figure class=\"ssrcss-hc6arm-StyledFigure e34k3c22\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-ab5fd8-StyledFigureContainer e34k3c21\"><span class=\"ssrcss-1pflr6j-Placeholder etlorgc0\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Mourners and students light candles to offer their condolences after the death of mountaineer Nirmal Purja and his companions in an avalanche in Pakistan\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/ace\/standard\/1024\/cpsprodpb\/0936\/live\/99bfb4c0-8fe0-11f1-bb3b-43bf44dc94d9.jpg\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" class=\"ssrcss-egie1y-Image edrdn950\"><\/span><span role=\"text\" class=\"ssrcss-tzgxt7-StyledFigureCopyright e34k3c20\"><span class=\"visually-hidden ssrcss-i2z2ig-VisuallyHidden e16en2lz0\">Image source, <\/span>Getty Images<\/span><\/div><figcaption class=\"ssrcss-3uli8u-StyledFigureCaption ehbdhz00\"><span class=\"visually-hidden ssrcss-i2z2ig-VisuallyHidden e16en2lz0\">Image caption, <\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-15twdc6-Stack e1y4nx260\">\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">Nepal is mourning the loss of six of its mountaineering greats<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-block=\"text\" class=\"ssrcss-vxwoax-ComponentWrapper e1aon0op1\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-126h8e-Spacer e1aon0op0\">\n<div data-testid=\"rich-text\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-nqezkk-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi1\">\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">Pur Bahadur Gurung, 37, scaled 12 of the 14 highest peaks and was one of only 100 Nepali guides certified by the International Federation of Mountain Guides Association (IFMGA).<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">&#8220;It takes a lot of money, passion and dedication to become an IFMGA guide. This tells us a lot about Pur Bahadur&#8217;s zeal for mountaineering,&#8221; says Himal Gautam, a spokesman for Nepal&#8217;s tourism department. <\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">&#8220;It also speaks to the unprecedented loss we have suffered on Broad Peak,&#8221; he adds.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">In 2024, Pur Bahadur was part of the team that <a href=\"\/news\/articles\/cy0g2p47xd5o\" class=\"ssrcss-1e0jzsh-InlineLink e1kn3p7n0\">discovered a century-old boot<\/a> on Everest, believed to be that of British climber Andrew Irvine, who vanished on the mountain in 1924.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">The other three Nepali guides who perished on Broad Peak last week include Gyaljen Sherpa, best known for scaling the third-highest mountain Kanchenjunga three times in one season \u2013 a feat that some colleagues say deserves a Guinness World Record.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">Then there&#8217;s Nima Sherpa, 36, who scaled four eight-thousanders in 2026 alone, and Nawang Thindu Sherpa, who in his 20s was among Nepal&#8217;s rising generation of mountain guides.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-block=\"subheadline\" class=\"ssrcss-vxwoax-ComponentWrapper e1aon0op1\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-usmnse-Spacer e1aon0op0\">\n<div data-testid=\"subheadline\">\n<h2 id=\"Placing-Pakistan-on-the-climbing-radar\" class=\"ssrcss-1sc9t00-Heading e10rt3ze0\"><span role=\"text\">Placing Pakistan on the climbing radar<\/span><\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-block=\"text\" class=\"ssrcss-vxwoax-ComponentWrapper e1aon0op1\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-126h8e-Spacer e1aon0op0\">\n<div data-testid=\"rich-text\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-nqezkk-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi1\">\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">Nepal&#8217;s mountain guides spend each spring leading international clients up Nepal&#8217;s highest mountains as guides or porters. <\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">When the monsoon comes around from June to September, some of them head towards Pakistan&#8217;s far north, home to some of the world&#8217;s highest peaks, including five eight-thousanders. <\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">International visitors to this rugged region are relatively few, but demand is growing. While over a million adventure travellers go to the Himalayas each year, the Karakoram mountains in Pakistan attract only about 15,000 hikers annually.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">Some credit Purja for bringing Pakistan onto the radar of mountaineers through his feat of scaling the 14 peaks in just over six months, which was documented in a Netflix film.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">&#8220;Nims&#8217; success gave many [guides] and foreigners the courage to believe that this mountaineering crown was truly possible,&#8221; says Iswari Paudel, acting president of the Nepal Mountaineering Association.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">&#8220;This has made Pakistan a major overseas base for Nepali Sherpas. And while helping foreign climbers fulfil their dreams, many guides have themselves completed the 14 peaks,&#8221; Iswari says.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">Ayers, the Everest reporter, says Purja helped &#8220;publicise a new era of mountaineering&#8221; which in many ways helped &#8220;democratise mountain-climbing&#8221;, but also &#8220;fuelled commercialisation and risk&#8221;.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">Because of how remote Pakistan&#8217;s mountains are, it is far more challenging to organise expeditions there \u2013 a feat that only the best guides undertake, Sherpas tell the BBC.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">&#8220;We have to fix our own ropes, cut our steps into the ice, and set up camps as we go along,&#8221; says Nima Rinji Sherpa. The 20-year-old set a new record in 2024 as the youngest mountaineer to summit the world&#8217;s 14 highest peaks.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">&#8220;Even in an era of commercial mountaineering, we experience real, old-fashioned mountaineering [in Pakistan],&#8221; he says.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-block=\"image\" class=\"ssrcss-l7emlr-ComponentWrapper e1aon0op1\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-126h8e-Spacer e1aon0op0\">\n<div data-testid=\"image\" class=\"ssrcss-1uy5kw5-FullWidthWrapper ep2nwvo1\">\n<figure class=\"ssrcss-hc6arm-StyledFigure e34k3c22\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-ab5fd8-StyledFigureContainer e34k3c21\"><span class=\"ssrcss-lcplh4-Placeholder etlorgc0\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Horseman on Godwin-Austen glacier, returning from K2 base camp to Concordia, northern Pakistan\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/ace\/standard\/2048\/cpsprodpb\/c741\/live\/fca9ee30-8fdf-11f1-bb3b-43bf44dc94d9.jpg\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1151.9396511079678\" class=\"ssrcss-egie1y-Image edrdn950\"><\/span><span role=\"text\" class=\"ssrcss-tzgxt7-StyledFigureCopyright e34k3c20\"><span class=\"visually-hidden ssrcss-i2z2ig-VisuallyHidden e16en2lz0\">Image source, <\/span>Getty Images<\/span><\/div><figcaption class=\"ssrcss-3uli8u-StyledFigureCaption ehbdhz00\"><span class=\"visually-hidden ssrcss-i2z2ig-VisuallyHidden e16en2lz0\">Image caption, <\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-15twdc6-Stack e1y4nx260\">\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">The towering peaks in Pakistan are far more remote than those in Nepal<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-block=\"text\" class=\"ssrcss-vxwoax-ComponentWrapper e1aon0op1\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-126h8e-Spacer e1aon0op0\">\n<div data-testid=\"rich-text\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-nqezkk-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi1\">\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">But because the region is hard to access, climbers usually attempt two to three mountains per trip, which makes the itinerary very tight, Nima Rinji adds.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">In Nepal, by contrast, mountaineering infrastructure is well-developed. The main trekking routes towards Everest are lined with family-run lodges that offer beds, hot meals and other facilities.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">Emergency evacuations are also generally easier in the Himalayas, where there is an integrated network of rescue helicopters and aid outposts at high altitude, whereas the Karakoram range, being more isolated, features fewer accessible landing zones.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">&#8220;In the Pakistan mountains, getting the helicopters to base camp already takes a lot more effort, let alone flying them above high camps. <\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">&#8220;Therefore, the Sherpas who are capable of working in high-pressure situations, and who have diverse experiences and multiple skills are the ones who will operate in Pakistan,&#8221; Nima Rinji says.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-block=\"subheadline\" class=\"ssrcss-vxwoax-ComponentWrapper e1aon0op1\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-usmnse-Spacer e1aon0op0\">\n<div data-testid=\"subheadline\">\n<h2 id=\"The-risks-are-part-of-the-appeal\" class=\"ssrcss-1sc9t00-Heading e10rt3ze0\"><span role=\"text\">The risks are part of the appeal<\/span><\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-block=\"text\" class=\"ssrcss-vxwoax-ComponentWrapper e1aon0op1\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-126h8e-Spacer e1aon0op0\">\n<div data-testid=\"rich-text\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-nqezkk-RichTextContainer e5tfeyi1\">\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">While the Broad Peak disaster may spur calls to tighten safety standards, many believe it will do little to change high-altitude tourism.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">&#8220;Generally, these tragedies cause a moment of concern&#8230; but then things go back to how they were. It&#8217;s difficult to say with any conviction that any accident in the mountains is &#8216;preventable&#8217; as the inherent danger is so high&#8230; and that&#8217;s part of the appeal,&#8221; Ayers says.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">The mountaineering community is drawn to high-risk pursuits, says Medhavi Gulati, a researcher specialising in high-altitude mountaineering.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">&#8220;Often, it&#8217;s the dangers and risk of death that attracts people,&#8221; she says.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">The existing generation of mountain guides will continue to crave the global fame and world records that their predecessors have attained, she says. <\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">&#8220;I don&#8217;t think that appeal will ever go away,&#8221; she says.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">&#8220;We&#8217;ve seen disasters like this one before, and nothing changed,&#8221; says expert mountaineer and writer Alan Arnette, who pointed to how an ice avalanche on Everest killed 16 Sherpas in April 2014, and the 11 climbers who died on K2 in 2008 after a massive chunk of ice broke off.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">&#8220;I doubt the Broad Peak incident will have a significant impact, given history. I hope I&#8217;m wrong,&#8221; he says. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-block=\"topicList\" class=\"ssrcss-vxwoax-ComponentWrapper e1aon0op1\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-tcr9z1-Spacer e1aon0op0\">\n<div data-testid=\"topic-list\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-nj9heb-StyledTagContainer ed0g1kj1\">\n<div class=\"ssrcss-1pfbb52-TopicListHeaderWrapper etw6iwl0\">\n<h2 class=\"ssrcss-89o2pv-Heading e10rt3ze0\">Related topics<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ssrcss-17ehax8-Cluster e1ihwmse1\">\n<ul role=\"list\" class=\"ssrcss-w8zanw-ClusterItems e1ihwmse0\">\n<li><a href=\"\/news\/topics\/cvenzmgyld1t\" class=\"ssrcss-1ypd9i8-StyledLink ed0g1kj0\">Nepal<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"\/news\/topics\/cg5rv33092rt\" class=\"ssrcss-1ypd9i8-StyledLink ed0g1kj0\">Mount Everest<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"\/news\/topics\/c5rznn0nvvyt\" class=\"ssrcss-1ypd9i8-StyledLink ed0g1kj0\">Asia<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"\/news\/topics\/c008ql15vpyt\" class=\"ssrcss-1ypd9i8-StyledLink ed0g1kj0\">Pakistan<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"\/news\/topics\/c2gze9xye49t\" class=\"ssrcss-1ypd9i8-StyledLink ed0g1kj0\">Mountaineering<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Image source, PAImage caption, British-Nepali climber Nirmal Purja, who led the Broad Peak expedition, was best known for speed climbing the &#8220;14 peaks&#8221; ByKelly Ng,\u00a0Reporting fromSingapore\u00a0and\u00a0Pradeep Bashyal,\u00a0BBC Nepali,\u00a0Reporting fromKathmandu Published 50 minutes ago Altogether, they summited Mount Everest dozens of times and achieved numerous feats previously thought impossible &#8211; like climbing 8,000m peaks without supplemental [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1935","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.2 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>How a generation of record-setting guides died in a disaster that killed a climbing legend - Asia Newscast<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.asianewscast.com\/?p=1935\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"How a generation of record-setting guides died in a disaster that killed a climbing legend - Asia Newscast\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Image source, PAImage caption, British-Nepali climber Nirmal Purja, who led the Broad Peak expedition, was best known for speed climbing the &#8220;14 peaks&#8221; ByKelly Ng,\u00a0Reporting fromSingapore\u00a0and\u00a0Pradeep Bashyal,\u00a0BBC Nepali,\u00a0Reporting fromKathmandu Published 50 minutes ago Altogether, they summited Mount Everest dozens of times and achieved numerous feats previously thought impossible &#8211; like climbing 8,000m peaks without supplemental [&hellip;]\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.asianewscast.com\/?p=1935\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Asia Newscast\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-08-04T23:00:08+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/ace\/standard\/999\/cpsprodpb\/8945\/live\/5bb99010-8fe0-11f1-bb3b-43bf44dc94d9.jpg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"6 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.asianewscast.com\\\/?p=1935#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.asianewscast.com\\\/?p=1935\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"\",\"@id\":\"\"},\"headline\":\"How a generation of record-setting guides died in a disaster that killed a climbing legend\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-08-04T23:00:08+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.asianewscast.com\\\/?p=1935\"},\"wordCount\":1273,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.asianewscast.com\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.asianewscast.com\\\/?p=1935#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\\\/ace\\\/standard\\\/999\\\/cpsprodpb\\\/8945\\\/live\\\/5bb99010-8fe0-11f1-bb3b-43bf44dc94d9.jpg\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.asianewscast.com\\\/?p=1935#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.asianewscast.com\\\/?p=1935\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.asianewscast.com\\\/?p=1935\",\"name\":\"How a generation of record-setting guides died in a disaster that killed a climbing legend - Asia Newscast\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.asianewscast.com\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.asianewscast.com\\\/?p=1935#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.asianewscast.com\\\/?p=1935#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\\\/ace\\\/standard\\\/999\\\/cpsprodpb\\\/8945\\\/live\\\/5bb99010-8fe0-11f1-bb3b-43bf44dc94d9.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-08-04T23:00:08+00:00\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.asianewscast.com\\\/?p=1935#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.asianewscast.com\\\/?p=1935\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.asianewscast.com\\\/?p=1935#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\\\/ace\\\/standard\\\/999\\\/cpsprodpb\\\/8945\\\/live\\\/5bb99010-8fe0-11f1-bb3b-43bf44dc94d9.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\\\/ace\\\/standard\\\/999\\\/cpsprodpb\\\/8945\\\/live\\\/5bb99010-8fe0-11f1-bb3b-43bf44dc94d9.jpg\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.asianewscast.com\\\/?p=1935#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.asianewscast.com\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"How a generation of record-setting guides died in a disaster that killed a climbing legend\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.asianewscast.com\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.asianewscast.com\\\/\",\"name\":\"Asia Newscast\",\"description\":\"\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.asianewscast.com\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.asianewscast.com\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.asianewscast.com\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Asia Newscast\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.asianewscast.com\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.asianewscast.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.asianewscast.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/anc-logo-v3.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.asianewscast.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/anc-logo-v3.jpg\",\"width\":1280,\"height\":853,\"caption\":\"Asia Newscast\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.asianewscast.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"}}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"How a generation of record-setting guides died in a disaster that killed a climbing legend - Asia Newscast","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.asianewscast.com\/?p=1935","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"How a generation of record-setting guides died in a disaster that killed a climbing legend - Asia Newscast","og_description":"Image source, PAImage caption, British-Nepali climber Nirmal Purja, who led the Broad Peak expedition, was best known for speed climbing the &#8220;14 peaks&#8221; ByKelly Ng,\u00a0Reporting fromSingapore\u00a0and\u00a0Pradeep Bashyal,\u00a0BBC Nepali,\u00a0Reporting fromKathmandu Published 50 minutes ago Altogether, they summited Mount Everest dozens of times and achieved numerous feats previously thought impossible &#8211; like climbing 8,000m peaks without supplemental [&hellip;]","og_url":"https:\/\/www.asianewscast.com\/?p=1935","og_site_name":"Asia Newscast","article_published_time":"2026-08-04T23:00:08+00:00","og_image":[{"url":"https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/ace\/standard\/999\/cpsprodpb\/8945\/live\/5bb99010-8fe0-11f1-bb3b-43bf44dc94d9.jpg","type":"","width":"","height":""}],"twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Est. reading time":"6 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.asianewscast.com\/?p=1935#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.asianewscast.com\/?p=1935"},"author":{"name":"","@id":""},"headline":"How a generation of record-setting guides died in a disaster that killed a climbing legend","datePublished":"2026-08-04T23:00:08+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.asianewscast.com\/?p=1935"},"wordCount":1273,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.asianewscast.com\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.asianewscast.com\/?p=1935#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/ace\/standard\/999\/cpsprodpb\/8945\/live\/5bb99010-8fe0-11f1-bb3b-43bf44dc94d9.jpg","inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/www.asianewscast.com\/?p=1935#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.asianewscast.com\/?p=1935","url":"https:\/\/www.asianewscast.com\/?p=1935","name":"How a generation of record-setting guides died in a disaster that killed a climbing legend - Asia Newscast","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.asianewscast.com\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.asianewscast.com\/?p=1935#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.asianewscast.com\/?p=1935#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/ace\/standard\/999\/cpsprodpb\/8945\/live\/5bb99010-8fe0-11f1-bb3b-43bf44dc94d9.jpg","datePublished":"2026-08-04T23:00:08+00:00","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.asianewscast.com\/?p=1935#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.asianewscast.com\/?p=1935"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.asianewscast.com\/?p=1935#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/ace\/standard\/999\/cpsprodpb\/8945\/live\/5bb99010-8fe0-11f1-bb3b-43bf44dc94d9.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/ace\/standard\/999\/cpsprodpb\/8945\/live\/5bb99010-8fe0-11f1-bb3b-43bf44dc94d9.jpg"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.asianewscast.com\/?p=1935#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.asianewscast.com\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"How a generation of record-setting guides died in a disaster that killed a climbing legend"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.asianewscast.com\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.asianewscast.com\/","name":"Asia Newscast","description":"","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.asianewscast.com\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.asianewscast.com\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.asianewscast.com\/#organization","name":"Asia Newscast","url":"https:\/\/www.asianewscast.com\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.asianewscast.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.asianewscast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/anc-logo-v3.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.asianewscast.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/anc-logo-v3.jpg","width":1280,"height":853,"caption":"Asia Newscast"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.asianewscast.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.asianewscast.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1935","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.asianewscast.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.asianewscast.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.asianewscast.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1935"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.asianewscast.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1935\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1936,"href":"https:\/\/www.asianewscast.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1935\/revisions\/1936"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.asianewscast.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1935"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.asianewscast.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1935"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.asianewscast.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1935"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}