Nirmal Purja was one of the greatest mountaineers that the world ever witnessed. Before he came into the world of mountain climbing, he served in the military. Nirmal became famous when he climbed all 14 mountains that are above 8,000 metres in just 189 days. His mission was called Project Possible and he broke the record that stood for almost 8 years.
Nirmal’s story reached more and more people through a Netflix documentary about him known as 14 Peaks: Nothing Is Impossible. It is sad that Nirmal Purja passed away in July 2026 in an avalanche on Broad Peak located in Pakistan.
Quick Biography of Nirmal Purja
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Particular
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Details
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Full Name
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Nirmal Purja
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Popular Name
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Nimsdai
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Date of Birth
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25 July 1983
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Birthplace
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Dana located in Myagdi District of Nepal
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Profession
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Mountaineer and was a former soldier too
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Nationality
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Nepal-born, later also held British nationality
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Famous For
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Project Possible where he climbed all 14 peaks above 8,000 metres
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Who Was Nimsdai?
The name "Nimsdai" is a nickname that was given to him. It comes from his real name Nirmal, which is shortened to "Nims," and the word "dai," simply means "elder brother" in Nepali. People started using this name for him to show respect.
Early Life and Family of Nirmal Purja
Nirmal Purja was born on 25 July 1983 in a small village known as Dana, in the Myagdi district of Nepal. However he later grew up mostly in Chitwan. His father and three older brothers served in the Gurkha regiments of the army and that is why the military service was already a big part of his life.
From a young age, Nirmal showed a lot of discipline and interest in physical activities, and these later helped him in army and mountaineering.
Project Possible: The Mission That Changed History
In 2019, Purja made history. He wanted to climb all 14 of the world's peaks that are above 8,000 metres in a single climbing season. Before him, the fastest anyone had climbed these mountains was 7 years, 10 months, and 6 days.
Purja finished the entire mission in just 189 days, which is six months and six days. This shattered the old record.
All 14 Eight-Thousand Metres Mountains Climbed by Nimsdai
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Mountain
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Country
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Date Summited (2019)
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Annapurna
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Nepal
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23 April
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Dhaulagiri
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Nepal
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12 May
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Kanchenjunga
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Nepal/India border
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15 May
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Everest
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Nepal/China
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22 May
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Lhotse
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Nepal/China
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22 May
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Makalu
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Nepal/China
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24 May
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Nanga Parbat
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Pakistan
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3 July
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Gasherbrum I
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Pakistan
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15 July
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Gasherbrum II
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Pakistan
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18 July
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K2
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Pakistan
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24 July
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Broad Peak
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Pakistan
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26 July
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Cho Oyu
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Nepal/China
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23 September
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Manaslu
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Nepal
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27 September
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Shishapangma
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China
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29 October
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Purja also founded the Nimsdai Foundation with a motive to give back to the mountain communities. The foundation works to inspire, educate, and protect. One of its biggest projects is the Big Mountain Clean Up, where trained teams remove waste, old ropes, and rubbish from peaks like Everest, K2, and Manaslu. Apart from the mountains, it supports education for children in rural Nepal.