Mountaineer Nimsdai Purja picks his favourite peaks
Elite mountaineer Nimsdai Purja has has seen the world from more angles than most. Having conquered countless mountains – including all 14 of the world’s 8,000m ‘death zone’ peaks – he’s experienced some truly out-of-this-world vistas. He tells High Life about some of the most dramatic climbs on Earth and beyond…
01/04/2022Fact-checked 25/11/2022
K2 sits at 8,611m above sea level in Kashmir. Opening image: Nims Purja (Sandro Groman-Hayes)
Prayer flags flutter in front of Ama Dablam, Nepal
Vinson Massif sits within the Sentinel Range of the Ellsworth Mountains (Getty Images)
The Matterhorn’s summit is 4,478m high (Chris Holgersson/Unsplash)
Olympus Mons Volcano on Mars is the tallest planetary mountain in the Solar System (Science Photo Library)
K2
Nims says: “From the summit of the world’s second highest mountain you can see countless 7,000m peaks popping out like mushrooms. It’s quite amazing.”
On climbing: “When I climbed K2 in winter it was like meditation for me because I was climbing without oxygen. I wasn’t acclimatised and I was leading this very, very capable team – the best in the world. I had to stay so focused in order to be able to perform in my element.”
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Ama Dablam
Nims says: “This one is just under 7,000m, and from the summit you can see Everest, Makalu, Faram, Cho Oyu. So, everything! It’s a very, very amazing view. And the top is flat, like a plateau. If you want, you can play football on the summit.”
On summits: “I’ve stayed on a summit for eight hours before. When I was with the Gurkha team on Everest in 2017, I was there for three hours, setting the fixed lines. It depends on what I’m doing and if there’s a time pressure or not. If I’m guiding, I don’t stay long. I stay for an hour or two for the clients to take the pictures and soak it up, then I guide them down.”
Vinson Massif
Nims says: “The scenery is flat in Antarctica, but the Vinson area is mountainous and beautiful. It’s easy, though – it’s only 5,000m.”
On the experience: “I love the whole journey, the climbing element of it. Once you get to the summit the view is great and you feel relief for a bit, but then you’re thinking about getting back down.”
Matterhorn
Nims says: “I’ve always loved Switzerland and the Matterhorn is iconic. I also love the French and Italian Alps. The access is super easy: you go, you climb and then I can get my speed wings out and I’m there having a beer in literally five minutes!”
On taking a break: “On holiday I like to go the place where I can do skydiving and a bit of speed flying – but which also has a beach. I have to go somewhere I can do extreme sports. Going from extreme cold to extreme warm – it’s nice to have those elements. I can’t go to the beach and just lie down and read a book. It would drive me nuts!”
Olympus Mons Volcano
Nims says: “What’s next for me? The Olympus Mons Volcano. I need to speak to Elon Musk and get him to send me to Mars!”
Nimsdai’s book Beyond Possible is out now. His film 14 Peaks: Nothing is Impossible is available on Netflix
