Beyond Possible: One Man, 14 Peaks, and the Mountaineering Achievement of a Lifetime
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- Create Date：2022-03-11 06:19:37
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Nimsdai Purja
- ISBN：B09NXGDGDD
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Summary
Listening Length: 9 hours and 42 minutes
Nepali climber Nims Purja is the first man ever to summit all fourteen of the world’s 8000 meter “Death Zone” peaks。 He did so in less than seven months， breaking the previous record of seven years。 In this spellbinding memoir ， tied to the acclaimed Netflix documentary “14 Peaks，” Purja reveals the man behind the climbs， explaining how his early life in Nepal and training as a soldier in Britain’s elite Gurkha and SBS units allowed him to achieve a mountaineering mission few thought was attainable。 Purja shows how leadership， integrity， and collaboration drive world’s greatest climbing feats， including the first-ever winter ascent of Pakistan’s K2-another mountaineering milestone that he achieved in January 2021。 Both profound and inspiring， this intimate book reveals what it takes to go miles beyond the possible。
Nepali climber Nims Purja is the first man ever to summit all fourteen of the world’s 8000 meter “Death Zone” peaks。 He did so in less than seven months， breaking the previous record of seven years。 In this spellbinding memoir ， tied to the acclaimed Netflix documentary “14 Peaks，” Purja reveals the man behind the climbs， explaining how his early life in Nepal and training as a soldier in Britain’s elite Gurkha and SBS units allowed him to achieve a mountaineering mission few thought was attainable。 Purja shows how leadership， integrity， and collaboration drive world’s greatest climbing feats， including the first-ever winter ascent of Pakistan’s K2-another mountaineering milestone that he achieved in January 2021。 Both profound and inspiring， this intimate book reveals what it takes to go miles beyond the possible。
Reviews
Alisa
，
This man's story is quite inspiring。 How he deals with setbacks and the challenges afforded him while climbing these mountains is amazing。 There were some parts that I felt he was a little ego-driven at times， but overall， he really pushed the boundaries of what is possible and how you can encourage others。 This man's story is quite inspiring。 How he deals with setbacks and the challenges afforded him while climbing these mountains is amazing。 There were some parts that I felt he was a little ego-driven at times， but overall， he really pushed the boundaries of what is possible and how you can encourage others。 。。。more
Kim
，
It’s a little rich to be lectured by someone galavanting around the Himalayas， and climbing Everest 3 times because the first two didn’t fit into his FKT （but would have still broken the world record） about global warming and environmental impacts of all the people on Everest。 And who now runs and owns an expedition company。 Grandiose ego and poorly written - timeline of when things happen or how much time has past is very loose。*This was a NetGalley advanced complementary copy in exchange for a It’s a little rich to be lectured by someone galavanting around the Himalayas， and climbing Everest 3 times because the first two didn’t fit into his FKT （but would have still broken the world record） about global warming and environmental impacts of all the people on Everest。 And who now runs and owns an expedition company。 Grandiose ego and poorly written - timeline of when things happen or how much time has past is very loose。*This was a NetGalley advanced complementary copy in exchange for an honest review。* 。。。more
Dan
，
Decent read。 Maaad 5 star achievement。
Dianna
，
Nims is such an inspiration！ If you need that extra push to achieve a goal read this book。 Or if you are just interested by challenges and adventure read this book！ Just read it！
Alexa Ferro
，
What everyone is saying is correct， this book could stand for better editing。 Lots of repetitive themes but also some themes that weren't repeated。 Did he climb to prove he could for himself？ Did he do it to spread environmental awareness？ For his family？ For humanity？ He definitely did for all of those reasons but I didn't feel like this was cohesive。 I at least knew to expect a lot of military influence throughout the book but it does come across strong。 I will also have to agree with a lot of What everyone is saying is correct， this book could stand for better editing。 Lots of repetitive themes but also some themes that weren't repeated。 Did he climb to prove he could for himself？ Did he do it to spread environmental awareness？ For his family？ For humanity？ He definitely did for all of those reasons but I didn't feel like this was cohesive。 I at least knew to expect a lot of military influence throughout the book but it does come across strong。 I will also have to agree with a lot of other readers that the way he comes across here is different than the documentary。 He comes across as a very "can do"， humble， kind and incredible person but here it comes across incredibly macho。 Does he deserve ALL of the praise？ Yes。 Was this the best mountaineering/climbing biography I've ever read？ No。 。。。more
Paul Markham
，
What an incredible achievement！ Nimsdai wants this to be inspirational but it just highlights the difference between him and the rest of us
Abby
，
Interesting， dude。 Definitely not how I approach the world， but it sure works for him。
Cecilia
，
4。5🌟 "Voglio tornare ancora sul punto più alto del mondo， pur sapendo che mi potrebbe scivolare via da sotto i piedi in qualsiasi momento" 4。5🌟 "Voglio tornare ancora sul punto più alto del mondo， pur sapendo che mi potrebbe scivolare via da sotto i piedi in qualsiasi momento" 。。。more
Robin Taylor
，
if you enjoyed the film， niw read the bookThe documentary blew me away and I thought about it for weeks afterwards。 The spirit of the mission to promote what is possible AND to have Nepalese climbers actually lead and pioneer the way is just an epic story by anyone’s standards。 But what was Nims thinking whilst all of this was taking place。 This is the book that will shed some light on the thought processes behind that。 I have even more respect for the whole venture now。
Betty
，
Having watched the documentary about the amazing 14 peaks climbs of Nims Purja I was looking forward to reading his written account。 Some parts of the book were quite good， but others it just didn't seem well written。 I think he tried to write this book in a hurry after finishing his exciting climbs， but maybe a bit more editing and help from an experienced writer would have helped。I also found it quite strange that he thanked everybody but doesn't even mention his biggest supporter， who held "d Having watched the documentary about the amazing 14 peaks climbs of Nims Purja I was looking forward to reading his written account。 Some parts of the book were quite good， but others it just didn't seem well written。 I think he tried to write this book in a hurry after finishing his exciting climbs， but maybe a bit more editing and help from an experienced writer would have helped。I also found it quite strange that he thanked everybody but doesn't even mention his biggest supporter， who held "down the fort" in England。。。。 his wife Suchi。 。。。more
Stephen
，
Brilliant， inspiring book。 Written in a very self centred way by Nims but still worth the read。
Karīna Liepiņa
，
Vienkārši izcila grāmata！！！！！ Cilvēku spējām nav robežu！！！ Apbrīnojama motivācija， mērķtiecība， darba spējas un darba ētika！ Tikai ar šiem nosacījumiem var sasniegt to， ko sasniedza Nimsdai！ Sasniegt nesasniedzamo！ 😳👊👍💪
Iñaki Amuchastegui
，
Incredible story and accomplishment。 Read it quickly and loved the parts about the mountains。 But at times it gets a bit repetitive and couldn't stop thinking sometimes that for all his claims about humility and selflessness， a lot of ego come through the narration。 And a lot more recognition and spotlight on his fellow climbers would drive his aim of giving Nepali guides recognition， a lot further。 Still would recomend the book and the movie。 Incredible story and accomplishment。 Read it quickly and loved the parts about the mountains。 But at times it gets a bit repetitive and couldn't stop thinking sometimes that for all his claims about humility and selflessness， a lot of ego come through the narration。 And a lot more recognition and spotlight on his fellow climbers would drive his aim of giving Nepali guides recognition， a lot further。 Still would recomend the book and the movie。 。。。more
Ed Hampton-Matthews
，
Amazing effort by Nims and the team。 Truly inspiring story that also gives you an idea of the risks of high altitude climbing
Bridgette
，
Was this the most well-written autobiography I have ever read？ Not by any means。 Nims can come off as egotistical and self-centered in his ambition， and the writing at times felt so repetitive， but I am so inspired by his efforts nonetheless。 I find people like him fascinating and love reading about what makes them want to accomplish such unbelievable feats。
Adam Osburn
，
This book should have been epic。 Such an amazing achievement by Nims Punja - full respect to him for climbing the 14 peaks above 8000m in just over 6 months （the previous record was over 7 years！）。 An amazing feat。 Unfortunately this book lacked any soul-you could not feel his achievements。 The book was so disjointed - topics that could have been expanded were brushed through。 Nims also has an amazingly high opinion of himself。 I did grow to like him more as I read the book （I also did a bit of This book should have been epic。 Such an amazing achievement by Nims Punja - full respect to him for climbing the 14 peaks above 8000m in just over 6 months （the previous record was over 7 years！）。 An amazing feat。 Unfortunately this book lacked any soul-you could not feel his achievements。 The book was so disjointed - topics that could have been expanded were brushed through。 Nims also has an amazingly high opinion of himself。 I did grow to like him more as I read the book （I also did a bit of an Internet search on him） but at first he seemed arrogant and egoistical who frequency described himself as a superman。 In one part of the book he described how he rescued a woman up on Everest。 While I think there is no doubt that he did completed a number of rescues during Project Possible， the way he describes his heroism is so self obsessed。 It is really unfortunate that this book lacks the soul， the detail and the emotions of the classic ‘In to Thin Air’ by Jon Krakauer （to be fair， many many books do）。 But there is an amazing story here of extraordinary achievement。 Done so while raising the profile of both the Sherpas （the true heroes of the mountains） and the environmental impact we are having on these and many other aspects of our environment。 Nims is not a writer。 This story needs to go to someone like Jon Krakauer to write it properly - this is not the book。But I would like to add - full respect Nims Punja on this achievement。 。。。more
William Fitzpatrick
，
Best book I’ve read in years。 Nims Purja is literally trail blazing。 The accomplishments of him and his team are emphatically exemplified by what they did on K2 during this incredible journey。 The documentary， 14 Peaks is also outstanding， but as usual， the book captures the unspoken details and nuances that are difficult to capture on film。 I’m a fan of Nims and look forward to what he does next！
Lisa
，
What an amazing and inspiring journey to follow。
Abhimanyu
，
Nirmal is definitely a badass。 Thinking about impossible and making it possible in his own style。
Jade Salomon
，
I think the words ‘ego’ and ‘masculinity’ are fashion terms used by those who can only relate to negative examples or struggle with their own self-worth。 I only say this because silly me read some of the reviews before reading the book。 Nims made a goal， he smashed that goal and explained what and who made him become the person he is， in order to achieve the things that he has and how proud he is of those accomplishments。 I loved this book because it made me realise a few things about myself tha I think the words ‘ego’ and ‘masculinity’ are fashion terms used by those who can only relate to negative examples or struggle with their own self-worth。 I only say this because silly me read some of the reviews before reading the book。 Nims made a goal， he smashed that goal and explained what and who made him become the person he is， in order to achieve the things that he has and how proud he is of those accomplishments。 I loved this book because it made me realise a few things about myself that I could really learn from Nims:- I’ve really downsized any sense of I in myself to such a point that a lack thereof， has held me back。 - having a sense of I does not replace the important human connection of teamwork， it’s not one of the other。 - fear holds people back。 - I am not proud enough of my own accomplishments and I can do so while still staying humble。 I hope people can learn a few things from this mans sense of ‘ego’ and ‘masculinity’ because without either of those things， he wouldn’t have become even close to these once in a lifetime achievements。 Don’t be afraid， give this book a read！ ☺️ 。。。more
Sophie VersTand
，
Wenn man （als Nicht-Bergsteigerin） auf Netflix über die Dokumentation "14 Gipfel" gestolpert ist， dann weiß man spätestens jetzt， wer Nimsdai Purja ist - ein Verrückter， ein Wahnsinniger。 ;） Einer， der in 6 Monaten und 6 Tagen alle 14 Gipfel der 8000er im Himalaya/Karakorum bestiegen hat mit einer Gruppe von Sherpas。Ich denke， es reicht vollkommen aus， die Dokumentation zu schauen。 Für mich ist Nims' Buch einfach eine großartige Ergänzung gewesen und ich habe seine Stationen noch einmal ohne Bew Wenn man （als Nicht-Bergsteigerin） auf Netflix über die Dokumentation "14 Gipfel" gestolpert ist， dann weiß man spätestens jetzt， wer Nimsdai Purja ist - ein Verrückter， ein Wahnsinniger。 ;） Einer， der in 6 Monaten und 6 Tagen alle 14 Gipfel der 8000er im Himalaya/Karakorum bestiegen hat mit einer Gruppe von Sherpas。Ich denke， es reicht vollkommen aus， die Dokumentation zu schauen。 Für mich ist Nims' Buch einfach eine großartige Ergänzung gewesen und ich habe seine Stationen noch einmal ohne Bewegtbild dazu nachverfolgt。 Für meine aktuelle Berg-Begeisterung in Buch- und Filmform hat das jedenfalls sehr viel getan。 Finde es ausgesprochen spannend， WARUM Menschen sich solchen Risiken aussetzen und warum sie ihre Grenzen austesten wollen。 Und Nims ist definitiv ein Mensch， der über jede Menge Grenzen hinweg agiert hat und sein Ziel erreicht hat。 Seine eigene Geschichte wird noch einmal etwas genauer beleuchtet （armer Junge aus Nepal， der dann zur Eliteeinheit der Gurkhas gehört und später zum Special Boat Services） und wir sehen， wie spät er eigentlich erst mit dem （Extrem-）Bergsteigen beginnt。 Irgendwie blüht er mitten in der Todeszone （ab 8000m） auf。 Weiß keine:r warum。 Vermutlich nicht einmal er selbst。 Mittlerweile hat er noch einige andere 8000er-Vorhaben umgesetzt （erfolgreiche Winterbesteigung des K2）， die immer für unmöglich gehalten wurden。 Dafür einen riesigen Respekt。 Ich freue mich， dass er Nepal und die Arbeit der Sherpas so in den Vordergrund rückt und selbst als optimistischer， nicht kaputtzubekommender Anführer mit allen gemeinsam auf diese Expeditionen ging。 Natürlich steht er als Initiator dieser "14/7"-Challenge im Zentrum， aber er betont immer wieder， dass ohne sein Team absolut nichts funktioniert hätte。Ich denke sprachlich hätte man aus dem Buch noch mehr rausholen können， aber andererseits mochte ich seine schnoddrige， gutgelaunte Art in der Doku sehr gerne und habe aus den meisten Seiten einfach Nims herauslesen können。 Man muss ihn nicht sympathisch finden， man kann durchaus kritisieren， dass er etwas fahrlässig mit seiner eigenen Gefühlswelt umgeht bzw。 zu Phänomenen wie "Angst" und "Verletztlichkeit" wenig Verbindung hat， aber das mag vor allem durch seine lange Zeit beim Militär erklärbar sein。 Es liest sich einfach wie ein gemütlicher Nachtrag dieses wahnwitzigen Vorhabens， ein Resümee von einem， der eigentlich sogar NOCH mehr schaffen möchte。 Wünsche ihm da bei allem einfach genug Energie und Freude。 :） 。。。more
Carina
，
This book was really brilliant。 More so than I expected considering I spotted a couple of reviews saying the author was quite self-centred。 Whilst I admit that Nimsdai does have a huge amount of self confidence， this （to me anyway） did not come across as being self-centred， especially when you see how many times they worked to the betterment of groups and individuals alike。I started reading mountaineering books in 2016， and after reading a fair few I noticed that the sherpa's or the guides that This book was really brilliant。 More so than I expected considering I spotted a couple of reviews saying the author was quite self-centred。 Whilst I admit that Nimsdai does have a huge amount of self confidence， this （to me anyway） did not come across as being self-centred， especially when you see how many times they worked to the betterment of groups and individuals alike。I started reading mountaineering books in 2016， and after reading a fair few I noticed that the sherpa's or the guides that assisted people on the mountains weren't always talked about， but when they were it was （usually） with great respect。 So for a while I have wanted to read a book that focussed more on the sherpa experience。 This book is not that， but it fills a niche and gives me some background of the Nepalese people。 Do I still want to read a book written by an actual sherpa - yes definitely， and I think I have a few on my To Read list。 But I think I am glad to have read this first， because the author bridges a gap between the Western world and the developing world of Nepal and its surrounding nations。 Nimsdai worked with the SBS （who I had never heard of before this） so because of their time in the UK， the way they write is quite familiar to me， but at the same time it is clearly influenced by their upbringing。In particular I really liked their way of looking at problems， only focussing on the immediate issue at hand and ignoring everything else。 It felt quite obvious， yet refreshing， so seeing them look at various issues other mountaineers have mentioned was interesting as Nimsdai definitely seems to come at things from a different angle than other authors I have read。I'm pretty sure that I know the photo that they mention taking of the queues at the Hillary Step on Everest。 I'd read enough around climbing by that point to be quite shocked at the number of people waiting at that height， so hearing the back story around it was really interesting and provided a lot of context。 I can't remember if the articles I read on the topic were balanced or weighted one way or the other， but I do remember thinking similarly to Nimsdai that it was darned dangerous。When I started reading this I had no idea if Nimsdai completed his task of climbing the fourteen peaks （（view spoiler）[ he does！ （hide spoiler）]） so I found this to be realy rather gripping when he discussed the pitfalls and political manouverings he had to do to try and complete his goal。 In fact those elements were probably as interesting to me as the actual parts of the book that cover climbing！What else to say。。。 I thought the conversations that Nimsdai has with the reader about the mountaineering attitude and rescue attempts to be absorbing。 As someone who will never ever climb a mountain （higher than Ben Nevis） I am not qualified to comment on it， but it's something I really do empathise with。 It must be a hard situation for everyone involved， even if to some views it is rather cut and dried。I believe there is a Netflix show based on this （maybe using the footage Nimsdai mentions in this book？！？） so I am looking forward to watching that next and doing a comparison。 If I then re-read the book again I can comment in that as part of the review！ 。。。more
Adam Jackson
，
Inspirational reading
CHRISTINA GIULIANOTTI
，
An Inspirational storyA truly inspirational story that should be read by all。 It moves a a fast pace so it is an easy read。 Nina is indeed humble in his telling of his remarkable achievements。
Nicole
，
Wow！ What an inspirational book。 Nims is truly incredible。 The book highlights the power of positive thinking， and a human’s ability to overcome any hurdle。 So many lessons I will carry with me for life！
Monika Spasova
，
Great story， unbelievable achievement but honestly the writing was not the best。 A lot of “I’m the best” attitude， repetitive and I mostly lacked more details of the actual climbing。 I realize detailed stories of all fourteen peaks would be too long but some of the summits were literally described in two sentences All in all it was an interesting read and inspirational in a was though
Rafał Grzesiakowski
，
lizanie sie po chuju za bardzo xd
Christy
，
Such an impressive person and so much passion for what he does
Rebecca Marshall
，
I have followed Nims for several years and was blown away with his accomplishments。 It was fascinating to read his story and discover more about his Gurkha and SBS background。 I hope Nims can continue to inspire people to pursue the impossible in their fields and care for the natural wonders of the world。My only hesitation in giving this book five stars instead of four is the somewhat repetitive nature as the book goes on。 And although Nims has earned all of the bragging rights in the world， it’ I have followed Nims for several years and was blown away with his accomplishments。 It was fascinating to read his story and discover more about his Gurkha and SBS background。 I hope Nims can continue to inspire people to pursue the impossible in their fields and care for the natural wonders of the world。My only hesitation in giving this book five stars instead of four is the somewhat repetitive nature as the book goes on。 And although Nims has earned all of the bragging rights in the world， it’s still somewhat uncomfortable to read the way he describes some of his own actions。 。。。more
PRANISH SHRESTHA
，