British Army Veterans Make Mountaineering History With Summit of Shishapangma

Some impressive mountaineering history was made last week by two British Army veterans.

Nimsdai and TJ on the summit of Shishapangma on October 9th, 2024. / Mandatory Credit - @Nimsdai

Nimsdai Purja has been making headlines in the mountaineering world for the incredible records recently accomplished. He now owns the world record for the fastest time to summit all 14 peaks without supplemental oxygen.

By completing that summit, he now owns the fastest time for the combined with and without oxygen climbs of 14 peaks. That trek was completed on October 4th, 2024 when he conquered Shishapangma.

Just days later, he was summitting Shishapangma again for another world record.

Nims became the fastest and first person to summit the 8,000-meter peaks 50 times on October 9th, 2024. This time, he was joined by Tejan Gurung, who made history of his own.

At 29 years old, TJ is the youngest British male to complete the 14 peaks.

He lived in Nepal for most of the first 10 years of his life before moving to the United Kingdom following the retirement of his father from the Gurkhas.

Inspired by his father, he joined the military in 2014 at the age of 19. He spent nine years in the military, starting as a Royal Engineer before later earning a spot for the All-Arms Commando Course. The right to serve with the 24 Commando Regiment within the 3 Commando Brigade was earned and held for six years.

It was in 2023 that he decided to leave the military and turn his attention to his mountaineering goals and begin his record-setting adventure.

As shared in the press release, “He quickly became an integral part of the Elite Exped team with his warmth, humour and positive outlook. Determined to help others experience the joy of the Big Mountains and uplift both his Nepali brothers and clients, TJ became a firm favourite on Elite Exped adventures. He was part of the record-breaking fastest team to climb all of the Big 5 mountains in Pakistan in 26 days in 2023. His military training gave him reliance, skill and determination and earned him his nickname on the 8,000ers of the Mountain Yeti.”

It was not an easy goal to accomplish. Things got very tough during the 2023 climbing season when an avalanche killed four people on the team, including his climbing partners Anna Gutu and Mingmar Sherpa.

Despite the heavy heart, it provided him with motivation to return to the mountain they started together and finish his journey. It was also a chance for TJ to pay tribute to his friends who were lost the previous year.

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A post shared by Tejan Gurung (@tejan.g)

“I feel very proud to represent both the UK and Nepal and to represent my friends Anna and Mingmar. I hope to inspire younger climbers to follow their dreams and find the thing in life that brings them joy. For me, climbing mountains is about more than the challenge – it’s about sharing the experience with friends and making memories for myself and others that will last a lifetime. I believe we all have the responsibility to look after our planet and ensure it is protected for the future and to uplift each other and show the incredible culture and hospitality of the Big Mountain community.

“Nepal is part of my heritage, and while the mountains have always been in my heart, it’s the challenges and the opportunity to inspire others that drives me towards them. The Big Mountains aren’t just my backyard; they have become the perfect arena to test my limits, embracing adversity, and overcome it with optimism and resilience.”

With his world-record performance, TJ is hoping that he can inspire the next generation of mountaineers of British and Nepalese descent. His friend and teammate, Nims, also had some positive words to share about the accomplishment.

“TJ’s focus and resilience embody the Elite Exped spirit perfectly – there is a time to be serious and plan, and a time when you can relax and have a laugh! It has been an honour to watch TJ grow and succeed – nothing has stood in his way and with him by your side everyone can achieve their new possible! I am proud we have both been able to wave the flag for our motherland, Nepal, and show the world its beauty.”

It took TJ a total of two years, four months and 13 days to complete his world-record.