@nimsdai without oxygen on K2 was a surprise to me too.

I was previously planning to climb K2 without oxygen but the hard work on 15th Jan left me with almost no energy to go summit.

When we were discussing the plan at Base Camp, Nimsdai told everyone that one must climb without oxygen.

We knew there would be people talking regarding with O2 and without O2.

Only our team had slept at 7000m. Both Kili and Dawa from my team were ready to climb without oxygen but I didn’t want to because I had promised their wives to bring them safely.

It was almost not possible for Nimsdai’s team because except Nimsdai and Mingma Tenzi, none of the other members touched 7000m.

On the Summit Day, we met Nims Dai and others at the traverse.

I didn’t realize Nimsdai was climbing without oxygen.

Around 300m below the Summit, I saw he was climbing without oxygen. I asked if his oxygen was finished and my partner Kili replied that Nims was climbing without oxygen all the way from Camp 3.

Next morning we talked about Nimsdai without oxygen to K2 Summit because it was unbelievable.

He was not acclimatized at all and the summit push was on their second rotation on mountain, still he took the risk.

I also checked the pictures which I took from the Bottleneck and above till the summit. In all the pictures, Nimsdai was without oxygen.

I told myself this bastard can do anything on the mountain.

He broke all the 8000m records including winter K2 without oxygen.

I shouldn’t be writing this word but I am ok to write it for his courage.

When we arrived back at Base Camp, we had messages asking with or without oxygen. We just laughed reading those because we expected those comments to come.

Nimsdai kept on saying climbing without oxygen is not that big a surprise in Sherpa and Pakistani climbers’ community so it was not necessary to speak publically.

There were media who wrote praising Nims and there were again media who criticized his climb without oxygen.

Whoever write whatever, his climb on winter K2 without oxygen will be always praised.

Source: Mingma G – FB

Header: Nirmal Purja – Nims’ on K2 – Winter Ascent