Nirmal Purja made bold claims on Sunday, posting on Instagram that ropes on Everest had been cut shortly below the summit, just as he was about to lead a team there. But a Pioneer Expedition team, which summited today, reported to ExplorersWeb and others that the ropes were in place. Nepal’s Department of Tourism will investigate.
The video
In an Instagram video posted Sunday, May 26, the Elite Exped leader spoke into the camera from above Camp 2 on Everest.
“They [not identifying who] have cut the rope just below the South Summit, above the Balcony. Everyone knew my team is going for the summit push,” he said.
Purja blamed the “dirty politics” on the mountain and said that he had remained quiet until now to protect the industry but was so fed up that he decided to speak out.
“I have lived with disgusting and dirty politics and tactics since 2019 simply because I have disrupted the industry and been extremely successful,” he said on the video. “People are always trying to bring me down.”
His post is embedded below:
In a second video in the same post, Purja recorded a conversation in Nepalese between someone called Mingmar and Babu Sherpa in Base Camp. In the subtitles of the video, Mingmar confirms, “The ropes seem to be cut and thrown to the other side [of the mountain].”
A Peak Promotion team was in the summit area of Everest carrying out a cleanup campaign, outfitter and guide Mingma G told ExplorersWeb. “They are conducting cleaning programs, and they have brought down three or four bodies this year, and they went up to bring [down] one more,” he said.
During that mission, the team reported the allegedly cut ropes to their leader, Babu Sherpa. ExplorersWeb has asked Babu Sherpa for confirmation, and we await his reply.
The reaction
The video went viral among the climbing community, and many comments on the post supported Purja. But one sherpa pointed out some issues.
“No one would have…deliberately cut a fixed line in the mountains,” wrote Nga Tenjin Sherpa of The Summit Force. “If someone did, the government would be ready to impose severe penalties, [but] Nims cannot accuse others without proof. If his claims are untrue, it could cause significant problems for him.”
The massive summit waves on the mountain peaked in the middle of last week. Summit numbers have tapered since then. But a handful of climbers reached the top of Everest on Saturday. Among them was Purnima Shrestha of Nepal, outfitted by 8K Expeditions. It was her third summit this season, a record for women. She didn’t report any issues with the ropes.
Purnima Shrestha on the summit of Everest on Saturday, May 25. Photo: Everest Today
Monday summiters report all well
Today, a Pioneer Expedition team also reached the summits of both Lhotse and Everest. Indian climber Satyadeep Gupta summited Everest shortly after midnight today and then Lhotse at noon local time. Gupta was supported by Pastemba Sherpa and Nima Ungdi Sherpa.
It was not only a rare double-header, but a double-double, since Gupta had already summited both Everest and Lhotse last week. He first reached the top of Everest on May 21 at 4:25 am and Lhotse on May 22 at 7:00 am. This second time, he wanted to summit both in under eight hours.
We asked Pioneer about the state of the ropes today, and they confirmed the ropes were fixed and in place.
Purja’s video prompted Pioneer expedition leaders to advise the summit team to take extra caution.
“We warned my members and sherpas to be aware [of potential difficulties with the ropes] and it caused them to go slower,” spokesperson Nivesh Karki told ExplorersWeb.
Karki confirmed that guides and climbers had no issues with the ropes. Gupta finally made it to both summits in 11 hours, 15 minutes, falling short of his eight-hour goal.
We have asked Elite Expedition for further details about the ropes and their thoughts about what could have happened. They said an Elite Exped team led by Purja is currently on a summit push. They will provide a full explanation once the team is back down.
Nepal DoT opens an investigation
Everest expedition leaders and operators are commenting on the issue, but mostly off the record. There is a general concern that Purja’s comment might harm the expedition industry.
The issue quickly reached Nepal’s Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation. Today, the Department of Tourism issued a press release announcing a legal investigation against Nirmal Purja “for disseminating misinformation with the intention of getting popularity.”
The press release also confirms the facts stated in this story.
Press release published today by Nepal’s Department of Tourism.
