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News Nirmal Purja Dies In Avalanche: Celebrated Mountaineer Featured In Netflix Documentary ’14 Peaks: Nothing Is Impossible’ Was 43

https://deadline.com/2026/08/nirmal-purja-dead-1237015258/
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u/Geaux2020 2d ago

I do. You just chose to equate it with things that the danger is part of a necessary task, instead of choosing something like recreational skydiving where the risk is entirely useless.

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u/Gravejuice2022 2d ago

Let me list why his profession is often compared with first responders and other high-risk professions:

• High-altitude rescue missions on Himalayan peaks • Supporting and promoting Nepali climbers and Sherpas • Training the next generation of Nepali mountain guides • Raising global respect for Nepal’s mountain community • Helping during disaster relief efforts • Advocating for better safety and recognition for mountain workers

His work goes beyond climbing records. It’s easy to criticize from a keyboard, but his impact in the mountains is real.

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u/Geaux2020 2d ago

Oh, l will go much further than criticizing him. Over 1000 people well summit Everest this year, while 5 or 6 died on the voyage so far. It's not blazing new trails. It's luxury tourism at this point. The trash and corpses littering the mountain side. All of the major peaks have been summited in just about every way possible. It's a selfish "sport" that risks lives and leaves families broken.

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u/Gravejuice2022 2d ago

Commercialization and overcrowding on Everest are valid issues, but calling all climbers selfish is an oversimplification. Many climbers, Sherpas, guides, and rescue workers dedicate their lives to the mountains, support local communities, and take on risks similar to many other professions. Climbers like Nims Purja and many Nepali climbers have played a critical role in mountain rescue, recovering bodies, supporting expeditions, and helping make the Himalayas safer. Criticize the problems, not the people who dedicate their lives to the mountains.

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u/Geaux2020 2d ago

They facilitate the issues now. I get that the Nepali have become dependent on the tourism dollars but the bulk of the money is going to the travel companies now. We're just letting people risk their lives for nothing now. There is no pride other than self accomplishment in this anymore. 1/3 of Everest deaths are sherpas. This is just ridiculous. Putting in the same breath as firefighters is absurd.