Who Were the 10 Climbers Caught in the Broad Peak Avalanche?

At about 9 a.m. on Thursday, July 30, a significant avalanche hit a group of 10 climbers on Pakistan’s Broad Peak. The impacted party included renowned Nepali mountaineer Nims Purja, who holds the world record for climbing the world’s 14 highest peaks without supplemental oxygen.

Broad Peak avalanche: Key incident details

Shortly after the avalanche, the Alpine Club of Pakistan announced that the 10 involved climbers were Purja, Pakistani guide Sohail Sakhi, five other Nepali guides, and three clients from China, Oman, and the U.S.

The July 30 avalanche on Broad Peak likely occurred in the encircled area . (Photo: Samson Sharaf)

“The overhang where the accident took place is clearly visible,” says Samson Sharaf, a Pakistani mountaineer who shared several screenshots with Climbing. Sharaf is the mentor of Sakhi, the missing Pakistani guide. “Most probably the entire, snow-laden face moved, sweeping the entire traverse.”

According to the climbers’ GPS tracks, the avalanche occurred between 8:57 a.m. and 9:30 a.m. at about 6,579 meters (21,580 feet), between Camp II and Camp III of the standard West Ridge. When the avalanche hit, American climber Mallory Geis’s tracker showed a sudden descent of 543 meters (1,784 feet). Omani climber Nadhira Al Harthy’s tracker showed a much larger descent of 1,651 meters (5,417 feet).

Timestamped coordinates show a rapid, off-route descent pattern for Nims Purja, Mallory Geis, and Nadhira Al Harthy. (Photo: Courtesy of Samson Sharaf)

The Juniper Fund has launched a fundraiser to support the families of the six Nepali and Pakistani mountain guides lost in the avalanche.

Below, we’re sharing live updates on this developing story, as well as profiles of the 10 climbers caught in the avalanche.

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