Memorial Tribute in New York Pays Homage to Nirmal Purja and Nine Others Lost in Broad Peak Avalanche
NEW YORK — The Consulate General of Nepal in New York on Thursday held a memorial tribute ceremony for 10 mountaineers who lost their lives in a July 30 avalanche on Broad Peak, the world’s 12th-highest mountain, standing 8,051 meters in Pakistan’s Karakoram range. The climbers were part of an international expedition led by renowned mountaineer Nirmal “Nimsdai” Purja, MBE, operating under his guiding company Elite Exped, and included some of the world’s most accomplished high-altitude climbers.
The ceremony, organized in coordination with the U.S.-Nepal Climbers Association and United Sherpa Association USA, brought together diplomats, mountaineers, members of the Sherpa and broader mountaineering communities, representatives of the PATA New York Chapter, tourism and travel sector leaders, and community members to pay tribute to those lost in the tragedy.
Purja gained worldwide recognition through his 2019 “Project Possible,” completing all 14 of the world’s mountains above 8,000 meters in just 189 days (six months and six days)—shattering a record that had previously taken more than seven years. His extraordinary journey was later featured in the 2021 Netflix documentary 14 Peaks: Nothing Is Impossible.
Among the other accomplished climbers lost on Broad Peak were Yukta Gurung, a 10-time Everest summiteer who had climbed 12 of the world’s 14 highest peaks; Kili Pemba Sherpa, who had recently completed all 14 of the 8,000-meter peaks; Nadhira Al Harthy, the first Omani woman to summit Mount Everest; and Nima Sherpa, Gyalu Sherpa, Nawang Thendu Sherpa, Sohail Sakhi, Wang Zhong, and Mallory Geis. Their deaths mark a profound loss for the international mountaineering community.
Participants observed a minute of silence in memory of the deceased before offering floral tributes and lighting traditional Nepali butter lamps as a symbol of remembrance.
Diplomatic representatives from Nepal, the United States, Pakistan, Oman, the United Kingdom, and China attended the ceremony. The gathering also included members of the mountaineering and Sherpa communities, representatives from climbing organizations, the PATA New York Chapter, the tourism and travel sector, community leaders, and members of the Nepali and wider public. This widespread participation reflected the international nature of the expedition and the solidarity of the global mountaineering community.
Nepal’s Consul General in New York, Dadhiram Bhandari, extended condolences on behalf of the Government and people of Nepal to the families, friends, teammates, and fellow climbers of those who lost their lives. During his tribute, Bhandari noted that while the climbers came from different countries and backgrounds, they were united by courage, determination, and a shared passion for the mountains.
Bhandari also acknowledged the efforts of the Government of Pakistan, relevant authorities, the Nepali rescue team, and others involved in the search, rescue, and recovery operations. He emphasized that the legacy of the deceased climbers belonged not only to their respective home countries, but to the entire international mountaineering community.
Kathy Eagan, Regional Director of the U.S. Department of State Office of Foreign Missions in New York, expressed condolences over the deaths and paid tribute to the American member of the expedition. In her remarks, Eagan described the climbers as symbols of the human aspiration to push beyond limits, highlighting the bonds formed among climbers, guides, and communities across national boundaries.
Their passion, courage, and international friendships, she noted, should continue to inspire future generations to approach the mountains and one another with “courage, humility, and respect.”
The Permanent Representative of the Sultanate of Oman to the United Nations, Omar Bin Al Kathiri, paid tribute to Omani mountaineer Nadhira Al Harthy, describing her as someone whose life embodied resilience, ambition, and perseverance.
Recalling Al Harthy’s mountaineering achievements, Al Kathiri noted that she became the first Omani woman to summit Mount Everest in 2019 and the first Arab woman to climb Ama Dablam in Nepal in 2020. She later climbed Manaslu, K2, and the Matterhorn, among other peaks.
Al Kathiri also highlighted her role as president of the Oman-Nepal Friendship Association and her contributions toward strengthening bilateral relations between Oman and Nepal.
Pakistan’s Consul General, Aamer Ahmed Atozai, described the tragedy as a profound loss for Pakistan and the international mountaineering community, paying special tribute to Pakistani climber and guide Sohail Sakhi.
During his remarks, Atozai highlighted the special bond between Nepal and Pakistan as two mountain nations whose peaks bring together climbers across different nationalities, languages, and cultures.
“The mountains teach us lessons that transcend borders,” Atozai remarked.
He also recognized the contributions of guides, rescuers, porters, and local communities supporting climbing expeditions, emphasizing that their work often remains unseen despite being indispensable to high-altitude mountaineering.
British Consul General Mel Lawrance expressed condolences to the families and friends of the victims, paying particular tribute to Purja, widely known as Nimsdai.
In her tribute, Lawrance recalled Purja’s distinguished service in the British Armed Forces before becoming an internationally recognized mountaineer, highlighting his determination to pursue challenges often considered impossible.
Representatives of the mountaineering community also used the memorial ceremony to draw attention to the inherent risks faced by professional climbers and mountain guides, as well as the economic impact of such tragedies on their families.
Pasang Sherpa, Secretary of the United Sherpa Association USA, a seven-time Everest summiteer, and an international mountain guide, highlighted the dangerous conditions in which professional guides work, including exposure to avalanches, crevasses, serac falls, and other natural hazards.
Drawing on his own experience as an avalanche survivor, Sherpa called for stronger policy protections and support systems for the families of mountain guides who lose their lives in the line of work.
“If the guide dies, what do we do for the family?” Sherpa asked, noting that many families depend heavily on the income earned by expedition workers.
He urged greater attention to insurance, education, health care, and other forms of long-term support for the surviving families of deceased mountaineers and guides.
Sherpa also stressed that the Broad Peak tragedy should not be viewed as a loss for a single country or community, as all those involved were members of a unified international climbing team.
Representing the U.S.-Nepal Climbers Association, Secretary General Ang Baba Sherpa described the deaths as a major loss not only for the victims’ families and friends, but for the global mountaineering community as a whole.
In his tribute, Sherpa emphasized that the courage, sacrifice, and commitment of these mountaineers would continue to inspire future generations of climbers.
“Gone from our sight, but never from our hearts,” Sherpa said while extending condolences on behalf of the association and the broader climbing community.
The ceremony concluded with renewed expressions of solidarity with the bereaved families and tributes honoring the lives and achievements of the deceased mountaineers. The memorial honored their courage while reflecting the international unity of diplomatic representatives, mountaineers, and the public in remembering those lost on Broad Peak.