There are fourteen peaks over 8000 meters in the word, all of them lie in Himalayan and Karakoram mountain range. Annapurna, K2, Everest and other eleven that called eight-thousanders. They have always been too tempting for the mountaineers who want to summit each one in a life time. And, by 2019, only 40 of them completed this crazy adventure, starting from Reinhold Messner, an Italian mountaineer and explorer, who had done it without supplemental oxygen in 1986. It took him sixteen years to achieve and seven years ten months and six days for South Korean Kim Chang-ho who had been holding the fastest-known time till a man from Nepal appeared instantly to break the record, conquering them mountains in just six months and six days with his ‘Project Possible‘. He was someone that nobody had ever heard of. Everyone was shocked. There remained one question to ask. Who the hell is Nirmal Purja?
Early life
Born in 1983, Nirmal “Nims” Purja was raised by a poor family resides in Chitwan region of Nepal. At eighteen, he joined Gurkhas, Nepalese special forces that is an integral part of the British Military, like his father and brothers before him. He became a Gurkha two years later and had served for six years before he decided to be a part of Special Boat Service (SBS), UK Special Forces. The first ever Gurkha in the unit that is regarded as the most elite one in the military along with the SAS.
After serving ten years in SBS as a cold-weather warfare specialist which caused him to gain the skills to quickly adapt to the changing situations and harsh conditions, he quit his job in early 2019 to pursue a dream developed when he had set out on a trek to Everest Base Camp in 2012. Astonished by its magnificence, he had convinced his guide to teach him how to climb and they summited his first peak 6119 meters Lobuche East. This was the experience which gave him confidence to take on more massive challenges.
Also, he wanted to represent Nepalese climbing community that deserve more respect than it has and to show the world what a man can do. Nim’s new plan was to beat all 14 eight-thousanders in a year. Incredible, impressive and sounds impossible. Doesn’t it? Normally, just to climb one 8000-meter peak takes two months. Yet, he isn’t a normal person. Neither are his crew. In his opinion, nothing is impossible. That is why he set the name of expedition as ‘Project Possible‘.
The ‘Project Possible’
First thing they did was dividing this extraordinary mission into three phases. Phase 1 was Nepal and included six mountains in order to be the first climber in history to summit six 8000-meter peaks in the spring season. Moreover, there was another claim too. Mount Everest, Lhotse and Makalu in 48 hours.
- Annapurna – 23 April
- Dhaulagiri – 12 May
- Kanchenjunga – 15 May
- Everest – 22 May
- Lhotse – 22 May
- Makalu – 24 May
Phase 2 was Pakistan with five peaks, one of which was the nightmare of all mountaineers, K2. The savage mountain that is almost unconquerable. But, not for them.
- Nanga Parbat – 3 July
- Gasherbrum I – 15 July
- Gasherbrum II – 18 July
- K2 – 24 July
- Broad Peak – 24 July
China was the last phase where they would need to get permission to climb in Tibet. However, the Chinese Government declared the mountains would be closed for that year and rejected their applications which meant the end of road. Again. That was Project Possible. Giving up isn’t in their blood. Thanks to followers of him and the support of other renowned mountaineers, they made China see the whole world were with them.
- Cho Oyu – 23 September
- Manaslu – 27 September
- Shishapangma – 29 October
Despite lack of funding and obstacles like permissions or physically and mentally hard moments that put more pressure on him, on 29 October 2019 Project Possible was completed. Nims and his team did it in a 189 days, breaking half a dozen records. They drew all attention to themselves, commanding huge respect from the world.
