Nirmal Purja: How a generation of record-setting guides died in a disaster which klled a climbing legend - BBC News

Their fellow guides say their deaths in Pakistan dealt a devastating blow to Nepal's mountaineering community.

Image source, PAImage caption, British-Nepali climber Nirmal Purja, who led the Broad Peak expedition, was best known for speed climbing the "14 peaks"

Altogether, they summited Mount Everest dozens of times and achieved numerous feats previously thought impossible - like climbing 8,000m peaks without supplemental oxygen and scaling K2, one of the world's most lethal mountains, in the dead of winter.

But beyond these accomplishments, the six Nepalis who died in an avalanche on Pakistan's Broad Peak last week also elevated the world's recognition of Nepali mountain guides, or Sherpas, who had previously been seen as mere aides.

Among those killed was the decorated British-Nepali climber Nirmal Purja, best known for climbing the world's 14 highest peaks, rising above 8,000m (26,246 ft), in just over six months.

Their fellow guides say their deaths deal a devastating blow to Nepal's mountaineering community.