Ex-Gurkha and British Special Forces operative Nirmal ‘Nims’ Purja has ticked off 11 of the world’s 14 8000m peaks in his incredible attempt to climb them all in a single season. The current record, held by Jerzy Kukuczka, stands at over 7 years and 11 months.
Nims summited both K2 and Broad Peak this week, ending the second phase of his attempt, which also included G1 and G2. He has just three peaks to go – Manaslu, Cho Oyu and Shishapangma – in what would be a remarkable mountaineering feat that many thought impossible.
Sponsorship has – surprisingly – been a big challenge for the Nepali mountaineer in his attempt on the 8000ers record, however British watchmaker Bremont recently stepped in as main sponsor to keep the record attempt on track. Pack specialists Osprey have also announced Nims as their latest sponsored athlete, and in fact he had already been using the company’s Aether Pro 70 pack on previous peaks including Everest.
Nims uses a specially-made ThruDark down expedition suit, and Osprey have announced they will be working in partnership with the expedition clothing company set up by a group of ex-military personnel on future projects.
You can follow Nims progress on Twitter
For more on the Osprey packs, go to www.ospreyeurope.com