Nimsdai Purja leads a team of Sherpas to glory in the first ever winter ascent of K2

K2 remained the last 8000m mountain to be climbed in winter, until now. And this time it’s the Sherpas who reap the glory...

There’s good reason why the world’s second highest mountain was the only 8000-er to never have been climbed in winter. Aside from K2’s reputation as the savage mountain, with one death for every four who summit, the conditions in winter are hard to even contemplate. Summit winds often reach hurricane force and still-air temperatures can be well below -65°C. The exposure and steepness of the snow-stripped slopes on blue ice and rock also mean that it is technically challenging, and the winter’s barometric pressure means there is even less oxygen.

But against all the odds and in -40°C, on 16 January 2021, at 5pm Pakistan time, the former Gurkha and UK Special Forces operative Nimsdai Purja MBE and his team of six, along with four from two other Nepalese teams, officially became the first humans to stand on top of K2 in winter. And they did so as one group singing the Nepalese national anthem.

The incredible journey required the teams – with the help of local porters – to move huge amounts of kit to set base camps up the mountain, some days requiring 50km treks with loads of around 35kg in -24°C temperatures. Nimsdai suffered frostbite and an entire Camp 2 was blown away in a storm of 120km/hr winds, losing them their intended summit window and valuable gear and supplies. A huge setback, but team leader Nimsdai – who was the only one to summit without any supplementary oxygen and who made headlines in 2019 when he broke the record for the fastest completion of all the world’s 8000m mountains – simply said, “I always have a back-up plan for a back-up plan.”

Reflecting on his latest achievement, Nimsdai said, “K2 is a totally different challenge in winter. The main difference is your ability to function in such extreme weather conditions. The whole team needed to have the physical ability but also a strong mindset too, to keep pushing through when times were tough. When some of our equipment was blown away at Camp 2, we had to reassess and replan everything. Having a strong team around you is important. I am super proud of all my team members.”

For much of mountaineering history, Sherpas have been the unsung heroes, often unrecognised for their intrinsic efforts in the success of first ascents and new records. Of the 10 Nepalese mountaineers that summited, only Nimsdai is not Sherpa, coming from a different region of Nepal. “We don’t have egos, we just have a shared vision and goal,” said Nimsdai. “It is a historical feat for the Nepali climbing community, who have always been the frontier of 8000m but never received their due.

“Mother Nature always has bigger things to say and standing on the summit, witness to the sheer force of her extremities, we are proud to have been a part of history for humankind, and to show that collaboration, teamwork and a positive mental attitude can push the limits to make the impossible possible.”