Nirmal Purja , the famous climber who climbed the treacherous K2 summit earlier this year in winter, the 37-year-old discussed whether the climb was more satisfying than climbing 14 8000m in 6 months, what is it like to be on the summit of K2 without oxygen cylinders , how this ascent allowed him to meet famous people and about the death of 5 climbers on K2 .
Why do you think no one came to winter K2 before your team did in January?
Nirmal Purja: It may sound harsh, but honestly, I believe that there was no team like ours before that had the necessary experience and speed.
For our entire team, we probably had more than 100 ascents to the peaks of eight-thousanders. It’s terribly cold there.
With the wind, the temperature was minus 65 ° С.
How do you know if it’s worth continuing to go up or is it worth turning around when it gets difficult on a big mountain?
Purja: It’s a really fine line. The most important thing is to be honest with yourself.
Are you doing this out of selfishness, pressure from teammates, or courage?
Sometimes it can work and it will work, but it is very risky.
If you feel that you can do this, then what is important is honest self-confidence, because these decisions will determine whether you live or die on an eight-thousander, especially on K2 in winter.
You have no room for error.
You froze three fingers during your winter ascent of K2. Will this affect your future ascents?
Purja: It is said that your hands will always be more sensitive after frostbite.
But listen, given that I went to the K2 in the winter without oxygen, frostbitten fingers are a small price to pay.
It was worth it. If you think about it, it could have been much worse.
How do you personally deal with fear?
Purja: We all have fear. But I don’t let this fear rule me.
I control it, manage it and use it to my advantage.
Anyone who says they are not afraid of death is most likely lying or are Gurkhas.
But seriously, do you know what my wife told me when I was at winter K2?
“Nims, don’t die with all our debts” Honestly, I just realized that if I take this risk, it’s not only about K2, but also about our finances, and if something happens to me, it will fall on Suci’s shoulders.
Of course, I had sponsorship, but it was not enough to cover all the costs. And I’m like “Oh my God.” This is exactly what I said.
The famous photo you took on Everest , which showed an unrealistically long line to the top, caused quite a stir.
Purja: I need to correct this perception of people because only I know how it was.
If you compare the number of people who go to Everest with the number of people who go to Mont Blanc, it is only 2%.
But people don’t talk about the crowd on Mont Blanc. Also, the number of people who climb Mount Everest each year has not changed since 2008.
What happened in 2019, the teams that fixed the railings were slow and there were only two weather windows for the entire season.
Usually, you have all of May to climb.
Now remember that all the people on the mountain have sacrificed something, worked hard and, in most cases, spent a lot of money to achieve their dream of being on top.
It turns out that they all went to the ascent practically on the same day.
I was also stuck in this traffic jam and took a photo as proof how it influenced my attempt at high speed climbing Everest and Lhotse. As a result, photography gave the wrong message to the whole world.
Hope this [pandemonium] doesn’t happen again.
Did you know that the book “Beyond Possible” signed by you, donated to a silent auction for the recent annual American Mountaineering Club Dinner, cost more than “My Life At The Limit” signed by Reinhold Messner ($ 550 and $ 365)?
Purja: Really? [laughs] That’s great news, I’m flattered.
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