World-famous climber Nirmal Purja among 10 missing after avalanche atop Pakistan peak
Ten mountaineers, including a Texas woman, led by world-famous climber Nirmal Purja, are missing after an avalanche on Pakistan’s Broad Peak — and an experienced American alpinist familiar with the conditions told The Post he feared the mountain could become a death trap.A snowslide struck the ten-person team as they trekked over the 26,400-foot peak in the Karakoram mountain range around midday Thursday, according to the Alpine Club of Pakistan.Purja led the expedition consisting of Mallory Geis of Texas, Sohail Sakhi of Hunza, one Omani climber, one Chinese climber identified as “Mr.Wang,” one unidentified foreign climber, and five Nepalese mountaineers.
Purja, a former Royal Marine, is a 43-year-old Nepalese climber famous for ascending 14 of the world’s tallest mountains.His astonishing climbs were featured in the Netflix film “14 Peaks: Nothing is Impossible.”Authorities have received no communication from the crew atop the world’s 12th tallest mountain and have mobilized an all-out search-and-rescue mission.
A high-altitude climber who led an expedition up Broad Peak last week told The Post Thursday he feared recent weathe conditions could spell trouble.“It had been raining every day, which means that at high altitude, it would have been snowing,” said Napier Sandford Fuller, 53.“I remember thinking, sh-t, they’re going to have a hell of a problem because if it’s raining … for a week straight, it’s going to have a huge snow load on that mountain,” added Fuller.The dad of four is no stranger to dangers while climbing the same mountain.
He said he had a near-death experience on the mountain while leading the team under a contract with Seven Summit Treks, a Nepalese travel company that organizes expeditions on high-altitude peaks.As he reached 26,000 feet up the summit ridge of Broad Peak, a fixed rope anchor snapped and sent him into a free fall — a “terrifying” incident he said was nearly fatal.“Usually that would b...