
Broad Peak Avalanche Ends a Bright Era of Nepali Mountain Guides
An avalanche on Broad Peak in Pakistan killed six Nepali guides and climber Nirmal Purja, ending a generation of record-setting, sherpa-led ascents and underscoring the peril of high-altitude guiding. Among the deceased were renowned guides like Kili Pemba Sherpa and Pur Bahadur Gurung, whose work helped popularize Nepalese sherpas and opened Pakistan as a base for international climbers. Experts say safety reforms may be limited in practice, as the allure of risk and the sport's commercial drive continue to draw climbers to remote, hard-to-access peaks.













