Inside the multi-million dollar business of Everest - from the controversial 'boy band' climber who charges $1m to personally guide you to the summit to the 'bouncy castle' that will fast-track you to the top

In the mountaineering universe, there are few stars that shine more brightly than Nirmal Purja - aka Nimsdai or Nims.

His record-smashing climb of the 14 highest mountains in the world in just seven months was documented in Netflix's 14 Peaks: Nothing Is Impossible.

Meanwhile, his photograph of a human traffic jam at the summit of Everest went viral, drawing attention to the littering on the planet’s most famous mountain.

But not everyone is a fan.

A new book, Everest Inc: The Renegades and Rogues Who Built an Industry at the Top of the World by Will Cockrell, reveals that some in the climbing fraternity dismiss Nims’ flashy, fame-grabbing antics, and witheringly compare him to a member of a boy band.

Many even question the validity of his achievements.

Some in the climbing fraternity dismiss Nims’ flashy, fame-grabbing antics, and witheringly compare him to a member of a boy band

Nirmal Purja's record-smashing climb of the 14 highest mountains in the world in just seven months was documented in Netflix's 14 Peaks: Nothing Is Impossible

Nirmal's all-Nepalese team celebrate becoming the first to scale Mount K2 - the world's second highest mountain - in winter

Cockrell writes: ‘While he had shattered a meaningful climbing record, he had also broken just about every unspoken aesthetic climbing rule in accomplishing his goal, which ruffled the feathers of a lot of hard-core alpinists.

‘He’d had scores of people fixing routes ahead of him; he had sometimes used helicopters to get to his next base camp as quickly as possible; and he’d had abundant oxygen on hand.’

The British mountaineer Chris Bonington, who has completed four expeditions to Everest, said of Nims: ‘What he has done is quite extraordinary, but it isn’t mountaineering. Real mountaineering is exploratory — finding new routes up to big peaks... I don’t see this as a major event.’

‘We don’t support this kind of gimmick,’ added head of the Indian Mountaineering Foundation, Amit Chowdhuary. ‘If you have 20 people supporting you, of course you can achieve this.’

But the rest of the world couldn’t get enough of this handsome over-achiever. 

When he launched Project Possible 14/7 in April 2019, he had 45,000 followers on Instagram. Five years on, he has two million, and his guide company, Elite Exped, can charge up to $1million for a one-on-one guided trip to Everest (clients have included the princess of Qatar, Asma al-Thani).

Nimsdai's guide company, Elite Exped, can charge up to $1million for a one-on-one guided trip to Everest - clients have included the princess of Qatar, Asma al-Thani

Mountaineer Chris Bonington said of Nims: ‘What he has done is quite extraordinary, but it isn’t mountaineering... I don’t see this as a major event’

A photograph of a human traffic jam at the summit of Everest went viral, drawing attention to the littering on the planet’s most famous mountain 

He’s also been credited for single-handedly reviving the fortunes of the industry, well and truly ending the days of Western dominance and putting Nepalese companies at the forefront.

DEATH ON EVEREST

Everest is now worth tens of millions of dollars to Nepal - and almost as much to the local guides who take an increasing number of climbers up it every year

However, that in itself has been controversial as last year ‘brought a series of events that reminded everyone how quickly things change on Everest,’ writes Cockrell.

‘The 2023 spring season… was officially the deadliest in the mountain’s history, with 17 lives lost.’

Some pointed the finger at what they saw as shoddy operators; others called the deaths ‘criminal’.

‘Some Westerners expect that there will continue to be higher numbers of client deaths on Nepali-run expeditions,’ explains the author.

‘This is not because of negligence or callousness on the part of the Nepalis, but because of a cultural difference in their business models, in their way of conceptualizing their duty of care to their clients, and often, in their clients’ preference to assess their own readiness to climb and make their own decisions about whether to turn around or not high on the mountain

‘Western guides believe it’s their duty to scrupulously vet their clients before bringing them to Everest, and then force them to abandon their climbs if they’re in danger on the mountain. 

'Many Nepali guides tend toward a belief that it’s the client’s job to be aware of the dangers, and their right to take the risks if they choose.’

THE COST OF CLIMBING

Whatever the risks, climbers are still drawn to this most life-changing of physical achievements - and are willing to pay top dollar for the privilege.

International Mountain Guides (IMG) offers a ‘classic’ Everest expedition for $49,500, with options for extra guidance and oxygen that bump up the price tag to $67,500.

Alpine Ascents International is charging from $76,000 for its 2024 expedition, while prices for CTSS’s climbs start at $54,995, with add-ons that include private luxury domes complete with four-poster beds, shag carpeting, hot showers, and down comforters.

Tents set up at Everest Base Camp on the Khumbu glacier. Everest is in the background, covered by monsoon clouds

CTSS offers a luxury private dome experience at base camp for its highest-paying Everest customers

The CTSS luxury add-ons includes plush carpets and hot showers

Some of CTSS's private domes come with four-poster beds and down comforters

Even for the most basic climbers (if blowing $50k can ever be considered ‘basic’), base camp is now equipped with luxuries including carpeted lounges with beanbag chairs, high-speed internet access, masseuses, full bars, baristas, and movie screen.

‘Over at Elite Exped’s section of base camp, stylish and attractive client teams full of selfie-loving, Nims-adoring extroverts enjoy rum-fueled nightclub-style dance parties,’ writes Cockrell.

‘“Next day if you can’t operate, that’s your fuckup,” Nims told the journalist Grayson Schaffer during an interview for GQ.

‘Around camp, the Elite Exped teams are often referred to as “Nimsfluencers.” They also get access to one of the most skilled Sherpa guide teams on the mountain.'

Elite Exped charges a 'bargain' $45,000 for what it calls a 'standard' guided climb.

Meanwhile, if you can’t spare the time to acclimatize, some companies offer a fast-track from upwards of $98,000, knocking up to two weeks off your standard Everest itinerary.

‘The packages include what might be the most high-end technological assistance yet seen on Everest: pre-acclimatizing at home,’ writes Cockrell.

‘Before you leave for one of these climbs, something resembling a deflated bouncy castle shows up on your doorstep, with instructions on how to inflate it around your bed. This creates a hyperbaric chamber, in which you can control oxygen levels and sleep in an environment mimicking, say, 15,000 feet of elevation for a week.’

Other packages (upward of $199,000) include a personalized pre-expedition nutrition plan, training program, and a heated dome with private bathroom at base camp.

Nims is known for his NFL-wide-receiver-level showboating and off-the-cuff catchphrases, such as 'Your extreme is my normality'

Nirmal greets fans after his record-breaking climb of K2 in 2021

'I’m the f*cking face of these people, bro,' said Nims about his Sherpa team, but with the implication that he means Nepalis in general. 'You’ll see it everywhere in Kathmandu. I’m their hope now'

But, for all the bells and whistles, Nims remains the star attraction - a man whose self-belief is perhaps matched only by his boundless self-promotion, says Cockrell.

‘This has made him a love/hate figure in the mountaineering world. In the run-up to the 2022 spring season, he released his own line of down suits, the Ultimate Nimsdai Summit Suit, and partnered with the American outdoor gear manufacturer Osprey to launch the Mutant Nimsdai 90 backpack.

‘These were just two additions to his growing line of eponymous merchandise.

‘“I’m the f*cking face of these people, bro,” he said about his Sherpa team to Schaffer, but with the implication that he means Nepalis in general. “You’ll see it everywhere in Kathmandu. I’m their hope now.”

‘This is not an unusual tenor of comment from Nims, who is known for his NFL-wide-receiver-level showboating and off-the-cuff catchphrases, such as “Your extreme is my normality,”’ writes Cockrell.

‘At the same time, he’s known as a friendly and caring guide who pays his employees well and wants to give back.'

The controversial guide declined to be interviewed for the book, saying that he was too busy. He is also known to be fiercely protective of his image. 

‘Whatever one makes of Nims — selfless hero or egotistical embellisher, empire builder or fallible man destined to crash and burn — he is unquestionably the face of Everest and the broader Himalayan climbing industry at the moment,' concludes Cockrell. 

'Largely by choice, he’s carrying the weight of representing Nepal.’

Everest, Inc: The Renegades and Rogues Who Built an Industry at the Top of the World by Will Cockrell is published by Gallery Books