Fourteen Eight Thousand Metre Peaks: Nimsdai Purja

What Purja did in 2019

There are 14 mountains above 8000 metres in the world, all in the Himalaya and Karakoram ranges. Climbing all 14 is a major achievement in mountaineering. Reinhold Messner was the first person to complete the round in 1986 after 16 years. Purja completed the same round in approximately 189 days.

The climber

Nirmal Nimsdai Purja was born in Nepal in 1983. He served in the British Gurkhas and the Special Boat Service before transitioning to mountaineering. His military background gave him exceptional physical preparation and experience operating in extreme conditions. Project Possible was his first major commercial mountaineering project.

The route

Project Possible covered all 14 eight thousand metre peaks in sequence. The climbs were divided into three phases based on geography. Phase 1 covered six peaks in Nepal in April and May 2019. Phase 2 covered five peaks in the Karakoram and Pakistan in June and July. Phase 3 covered three peaks in autumn including Shishapangma in October.

The peaks and dates

Annapurna on 23 April, Dhaulagiri on 12 May, Kanchenjunga on 15 May, Everest on 22 May, Lhotse on 22 May, Makalu on 24 May, Nanga Parbat on 3 July, Gasherbrum I on 15 July, Gasherbrum II on 18 July, K2 on 24 July, Broad Peak on 26 July, Manaslu on 27 September, Cho Oyu on 23 October and Shishapangma on 29 October. Total elapsed time 6 months 6 days.

The team

Purja led a team of Sherpa climbers throughout the project. Mingma David Sherpa, Lakpa Dendi Sherpa and others worked with him on multiple peaks. The team approach was essential to the speed of the project. Several Sherpa climbers completed multiple peaks alongside Purja. The project was a team achievement led by Purja rather than a pure solo effort.

What 14 peaks in 6 months demands

Climbing one eight thousand metre peak is physiologically extreme. Climbing 14 in rapid succession compresses the recovery timeline that mountaineering medicine considers normal. The cumulative load was unprecedented.

Acclimatisation efficiency

Standard practice for eight thousand metre peaks involves multiple weeks of acclimatisation including progressively higher rotations between camps. Purja compressed this timeline by maintaining acclimatisation from earlier peaks. By staying high on consecutive expeditions he retained adaptation that would normally fade between trips. The compressed schedule was only possible with continuous high altitude exposure.

Cumulative cardiovascular load

Each summit attempt produces sustained cardiovascular stress at altitude. Repeated summits within months produce accumulated load that no normal training programme could prepare for. Purja maintained heart rate variability and cardiovascular markers across the project through deliberate management of intensity between summits.

Recovery management

Recovery between summits was minimal compared to traditional expedition practice. Purja used short rest periods, deliberate fuelling and helicopter transport between regions to minimise descent time. The compressed schedule did not allow conventional recovery. The body had to function under continuous high altitude stress.

Use of supplemental oxygen

Purja used supplemental oxygen on summit attempts. This reduced the physiological demand compared to oxygen free climbing but did not eliminate it. The oxygen flow rates used by elite climbers do not fully restore sea level physiology. Climbers still experience hypoxia, fatigue and cognitive effects. The oxygen makes the climb possible but not easy.

What had to be managed

Project Possible was not only a physical challenge. The logistical, weather and political dimensions were as demanding as the physical climbing. The successful execution required substantial preparation beyond fitness alone.

Weather windows

Eight thousand metre peaks have limited weather windows during which summits are safe. Most expeditions plan around forecast windows that may be days or weeks apart. Purja needed to align summit attempts across 14 peaks with varying weather patterns. Some summits were attempted in marginal conditions. Weather management is one of the most demanding parts of high altitude mountaineering.

Permits and bureaucracy

Climbing permits for eight thousand metre peaks involve significant cost and political coordination. China, Nepal and Pakistan all have different permit systems. Purja faced specific delays securing the Shishapangma permit from China, which threatened the project timeline near the end. The permit issue was eventually resolved through diplomatic engagement.

Funding

Project Possible was self funded by Purja, partly through remortgaging his house. The total cost ran into hundreds of thousands of pounds. Sponsorship was secured but covered only part of the expense. The financial risk was significant and personal. Many similar projects fail at the funding stage before reaching the mountains.

Rescue operations

During the project Purja was involved in multiple rescue operations on other expeditions. He stopped his own summit attempts on several occasions to assist climbers in distress. The rescues required physical capacity beyond what the project itself demanded. Purja has been recognised for the rescue work alongside the climbing achievement.

Lessons from Project Possible

The 14 peaks record demonstrated that the previously accepted timelines for major mountaineering achievements were not absolute. The lessons apply to mountaineering and to broader thinking about long term goals.

Compressed timelines are possible

The previous Messner timeline of 16 years for the 14 peaks was thought to be near optimal. Purja completed the same round in 189 days. The compression was not just a matter of effort. It required reimagining the acclimatisation, logistics and team approach. Sometimes accepted timelines reflect default thinking rather than absolute physiological limits.

Military preparation transfers

Purjas military background in special forces gave him operational planning skills, physical conditioning and psychological tolerance that translated directly to high altitude mountaineering. Several other elite mountaineers have similar military backgrounds. The discipline of military operations preparation has consistent relevance to expedition climbing.

The team matters

Project Possible was led by Purja but executed with a Sherpa team. The Sherpa climbers receive less attention in mountaineering coverage but are essential to elite altitude climbing. The achievement was a team accomplishment with Purja providing the public face and leadership. Recognising this matters for honest understanding of how elite mountaineering works.

Oxygen and ethics

Purjas use of supplemental oxygen is sometimes used to discount the achievement. The oxygen makes high altitude climbing significantly more achievable but does not make it easy. The project would have been impossible without oxygen. Different mountaineering traditions value different ethical standards. Both oxygen assisted and oxygen free climbing are recognised achievements with different criteria.

More from the limits library

For the oxygen free Everest counterpoint, our Climbing Everest Without Oxygen guide covers Reinhold Messner. Training at Extreme Altitude covers the high altitude physiology in detail. And Endurance Under Load covers the military preparation that informed Purjas climbing.