KATHMANDU, SEPTEMBER 29
Celebrated climber Nirmal 'Nims' Purja today scaled Mt Dhaulagiri completing his 12th peak above 8,000m without using supplemental oxygen.
According to the base camp sources, at least 10 climbers including Nims and American woman climber Anna Gutu scaled the world's seventh highest peak. Anna, who is on her mission to be the first American woman to climb all 14 peaks, scaled the mountain using oxygen support while record-holding climber Nims stood atop the earl summit without using bottled oxygen. Anna has also completed 12 peaks in just 7 months.
Nims headed for Dhaulagiri to lead the Elite Expedition after he scaled Mt Manaslu on September 17. He has decided to repeat Manaslu and Dhaulagiri without using oxygen support to make all 14 peaks in less than two years.
Earlier in 2021, Nims had climbed Manaslu and Dhaulagiri in September and October respectively without using bottled oxygen. If he succeeds in climbing the two remaining peaks – Cho Oyu and Shishapangma – in Tibet next month, he will be the world's fastest climber to scale all 14 peaks without using O2 in just 17 months. "In just 16 months, Nims has completed 12 peaks without using oxygen support," sources said.
Without using oxygen in 2022, Nims climbed Mt Kanchenjunga on May 07, Mt Everest on May 27 and Lhotse on May 28. In 2023, he also made it to the summit of Annapurna on 15 April and Mt Makalu on June 05 without using O2. Nims also made the fastest ascent of five peaks - Nanga Parbat, K2, Broad Peak, G1, G2 - without using supplemental oxygen in just 26 days (from 02 to 27th July 2023).
Once he completes Cho Oyu and Shishapangma next months, Nims will also be the world's fastest climber to make double ascent of all 14 peaks. He had already climbed Cho Oyu and Shisha Pangma once in 2019 under his ambitious '14 Peaks: Nothing is Impossible' project. "Nims now aims to complete double ascents of all 14 peaks in just four years."
While making 42 summits including fore summits of Manaslu and Dhaulagiri in a short span of time, Nims climbed Mt Everest eight times, Mt K2 four times including the first winter ascent in 2021 and Mt Lhotse for the fifth time.
Records also show that Nims made the most 8000ers in a single season - Annapurna, Dhaulagiri, Kanchenjunga, Everest, Lhotse, Makalu - in 31 days. Among others, Nims also made the fastest ascent of the top five highest mountains of the world - Everest, Lhotse, Makalu, K2, Kanchenjunga - in just 70 days.
Nims also holds a record for the fastest double higher 8000ers without oxygen - Everest and Lhotse – in 25 hours and 1 minute. Some of his records include fastest triple higher 8000ers without oxygen -Everest, Lhotse, and Kanchenjunga - in 8 days, fastest top three 8000ers without oxygen - Everest, K2, Kanchenjunga in 75 Days as well as first and fastest to climb Everest and Lhotse twice in a single season.
Anna Gutu and Tejan Gurung along with Nims will head for Tibet next week to complete two remaining peaks – Cho Oyu and Shisha Pangma – as they all wanted to join the coveted club of 14 8,000ers, sources added.
