Perilous peaks

THE deaths of 10 climbers in an avalanche on Broad Peak is a sad reminder of the perils that many mountaineers face in their quest to scale the tallest peaks. Among the latest victims was Nepal’s Nirmal Purja, the first person to summit the world’s 14 8,000m peaks and the Seven Summits — the highest mountains in each of the seven continents — both with and without supplemental oxygen. Purja’s body was found three days after the avalanche on the 8,051m Broad Peak. In fact, Nepal is mourning the loss of one of the most accomplished generation of mountaineers it has produced. In total, it mourned six deaths in the tragedy, the others being Pur Bahadur Gurung, Kili Pemba Sherpa, Nima Sherpa, Nawang Thendu Sherpa and Gyaljen Sherpa. Pakistani climber Sohail Sakhi was also part of the ill-fated 10-member expedition. Others included Nathira Al Harthy of Oman, American Mallory Geis and China’s Wang Zhong. When the avalanche struck on Thursday, theirs was the only expedition on Broad Peak that had stayed behind after the others had retreated due to heavy snowfall. Pakistan immediately launched a search-and-rescue mission after contact was lost, with army helicopters scouring the area. But all hopes were dashed on Friday when the bodies of two climbers were discovered. Inclement weather made matters difficult for the rescuers. Three more bodies were found on Saturday, including Purja’s.

In recent years, Pakistan has seen an uptick in the number of climbers who dare to scale its challenging peaks. However, the remoteness of the region makes it difficult to launch rescue missions. The deaths on Broad Peak are a painful reminder of all that these climbers had put on the line to scale the world’s tallest peaks. More importantly, they reflect the courage and devotion of these men and women who aspire to reach heights that only a few in the world have attained. That is their way of living out their passion and doing things beyond the ordinary.

Published in Dawn, August 4th, 2026

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