Nims and the 14 Peaks

absolutely unbelievable

Hello beautiful people. Here we are, safe, or relatively so, at normal levels of elevation, breathing normal levels of oxygen, and resting and so forth.

But my heart is beating a bit differently since watching a documentary on Netflix called 14 Peaks: Nothing is Impossible.

I have in the last couple of years really enjoyed watching content on streaming platforms about people doing incredible things like ultra running, free solo climbing, etc. This film is about climbing the highest mountains.

It addresses one of the issues most disturbing to me in mountain climbing, when it comes to folks climbing Everest and Annapurna and K2: it’s always been about white men getting to the top, with unnamed sherpas literally doing the heavy lifting and making sure the white guys stay alive if at all possible, and also get to fulfill their rich boy dreams.

Not this film. This film is about a Nepalese climber and his Nepalese team doing the possible. But thought to be impossible. The climber’s name is Nims Purja and he called this challenge Project Possible and wanted to see Nepalese names used when the most amazing challenge was completed: climbing the 14 highest mountains in the world, the only 14 over 8000 meters, and doing it in 7 months.

In his quest he took this photo as he descended Mount Everest. Apparently it went viral and his team finally got some of the press they needed. Because it was not a group of white dudes, their social media and funding was light. This was posted in the New York Times:

To give perspective, only one person, the great Reinhold Messner, has climbed all of these peaks, and it took him 16 years to do it. Crazy Nims wanted to do it in 7 months.

Nims leading the way in a photo on Mr Porter:

The team on top of K2:

You have to see this film. It transcends the genre, and I don’t want to take away from the viewing experience by saying things that happen, but shit happens. And Nims and his team are stoic and humble and happy and so full of perseverance that you will be lifted and want to be braver. I want to be braver.

He wrote a book about it, which I have not read yet, as I only learned his name tonight.

He was on the JRE, which I have not seen, but will slip in right here. I plan to watch this in the next few days. You have to have a free Spotify account to watch or listen.

I am a bit of a quitter. I’ll just admit that now. I wish I could say otherwise but I give up. Some people never give up. I’d like to be someone who pushes herself some, but not too much. A bit more than I do, especially regarding things that will make me feel like a million bucks if I push through. Do you push through or are you more like me and need a push?

I will think of Nims and some of the amazing things that I know he has done, and wonder at other amazing things he and others like him have done that I don’t know, that no one knows. And be inspired. Go to his Insta for some great pics and quotes @nimsdai. I couldn’t grab any of them for ya. Sorry. One thing he said that I know is true is, “Most of us are forgetting that from the beginning of our life, we are approaching death.” This is not morbid. This is truth, and it can help steer us along as we start to flounder.

Thanks for reading this. Peace to you.