KATHMANDU, MAY 27
The Ministry of Culture, Tourism, and Civil Aviation is all set to take stern legal action against celebrated mountaineer Nirmal 'Nims' Purja after he aired a fake video message about Mt. Everest.
Nims posted a video on his social media yesterday, claiming that ropes along the Everest summit above the balcony area were cut to bar him from making the summit.
His video quickly went viral, drawing immediate but critical reactions from the world's mountaineering community about Everest climbing.
"Nims' claims are baseless and it seems he chose this trick to garner people's sympathy," said Damber Parajuli, President of the Expedition Operators Association Nepal, after holding an emergency meeting in Kathmandu this morning.
Ropes on the Everest climbing route are intact, and climbers are summiting the world's highest peak.
"Three climbers from Pioneer Adventure - Satyadeep Gupta from India, Pastemba Sherpa and Nima Ungdi Sherpa - made it to the summit of Everest at around 12:50 this morning. The climbers told us that the route and ropes are intact and no ropes were buried or cut down as claimed by Nims," Parajuli said.
Nims, who always wanted to be in the limelight for doing reckless things, had documented a video at the crampon point above Camp II, thinking he was the only team to head for the summit push yesterday.
"Fortunately, there were other climbers who exposed Nims' wrongdoings, letting the cat out of the bag," the EoAN officials said after the meeting.
Referring to a radio message he received from the balcony area, Nims said, "What I have heard is people have cut the ropes, it is just below the south summit, above the balcony."
"Everyone knew that my team is going for the summit push. This so much dirty politics is going on here on the mountains," Nims said.
"I think today I had enough. I have been trying to keep It quiet so that I take this industry forward but now I had to speak."
"You know people knew this we are going on the summit and this is extremely disgusting.
Of course this is the responsibility of the fixing team to go up and fix it. We will see it. We will figure out who cut the ropes as well very soon."
"It's so disgusting as I am really really heartbroken and upset about this. People have been trying to bring me down for the last three years. They have been playing such a dirty politics. But, I am sorry guys. I always wanted to be positive but I think stuff like this people need to know as well. So, enough with this."
Nims first asked Mingmar Sherpa, "Can you please confirm if the ropes are buried or have been cut down?"
Mingmar couldn't confirm. Then he again asked Babu Sherpa the same question.
"It seems that it had been cut down and threw to the other side," Babu reportedly replied.
"Is it really?" Nims again asked. "That's what we got the information now as per our four members up there. And they are heading back now," Babu replied.
"Ok, all copied. But as per the initial information from them, the ropes had been cut, and because of that, they had to return, right?" Nims insisted.
"Yes, our team went there to retrieve an old dead body from the balcony section, after they head towards up from Camp IV, they realized there were no ropes to ascend. So, they had to return from there," Babu replied.
"It's really heartbreaking to see someone doing such cruel sin. Such a dirty politics here in mountains," Nims reacted with Babu. "People know we were going up for the summit push," he said.
In a text message, Nims shared, "Today I'm absolutely lost for words. It's not the first time I have dealt with disgusting things like this. I have lived with disgusting and dirty politics and tactics since 2019 simply because I have disrupted the industry and been extremely successful! People are always trying to bring me down!"
"If necessary I will openly expose everyone! I am extremely disappointed with the mountain community who call on me when needed in times of crisis! All I have tried to do is make a positive impact for mountaineers and #Nepal," Nims shared.
The Department of Tourism has also been requested to take stern action against Nims for tarnishing the image of the country and the overall climbing community, according to EoAN.
The team has already consulted with the Department of Tourism and the ministry for the same. "The ministry will investigate the issue and initiate legal action against Nims Purja," DoT officials told the EoAN delegation.
(Update will follow).
