Nawang Thindu Sherpa: The 29 Year Old Climber Whose Promising Journey Ended On Broad Peak

A Young Climber Lost On Broad Peak

Nawang Thindu Sherpa, a 29 year old Nepali high altitude guide associated with Seven Summit Treks, lost his life after a major avalanche struck Broad Peak in Pakistan on July 30, 2026. He was part of the climbing group caught in the disaster, which killed six Nepali climbers and others. Nawang had travelled to the mountain as an experienced professional guide, continuing a career that had already taken him to several of the world’s highest peaks.

Six Major Mountains Already Climbed

Despite being only 29, Nawang had already built an impressive mountaineering record. He had successfully climbed Mount Everest, Lhotse, Manaslu, Kanchenjunga, Makalu and Ama Dablam. He first reached the summit of Everest in 2022 and successfully climbed Makalu again in 2026, showing how quickly his career was developing at the highest level of mountaineering.

His recent expedition records also show that he reached the summit of Kanchenjunga at 8,586 metres on May 20, 2025 as part of the Seven Summit Treks support team. Later that year, on September 25, he was among the Sherpa climbers who successfully reached the 8,163 metre summit of Manaslu.

Helping Others In Dangerous Moments

Nawang’s work in the mountains went beyond reaching summits. After an avalanche struck Annapurna on April 7, 2025 and swept away Sherpa guides Ngima Tashi and Rima Rinje, Nawang joined other Sherpas in searching for their missing teammates under dangerous conditions. Despite their efforts, the two climbers could not be found.

In May 2026, Nawang again took part in a difficult high altitude mission. He was one of five rescuers who recovered the body of 38 year old Czech climber David Roubinek from around 7,300 metres on Makalu II, also known as Kangchung Tse. The team managed to bring his body down to a high camp at around 6,100 metres despite difficult weather and terrain.

Mountaineering Was In His Family

Nawang came from Tal Kharka in Makalu Rural Municipality 1 of Sankhuwasabha. Mountaineering was deeply connected to his family. According to the local government, his father and three brothers were also experienced mountaineers who had climbed peaks above 8,000 metres. Growing up in this environment helped draw Nawang toward the mountains from a young age.

He began his professional climbing career with Seven Summit Treks and developed a reputation as a dependable high altitude guide. Seven Summit Treks also listed him among its climbing guides.

A Career That Ended Too Soon

At 29 and unmarried, Nawang was still at an early stage of what had already become an impressive professional climbing career. Local officials remembered him as courageous, honest, disciplined and highly promising, while his climbing record showed experience across some of the Himalayas’ most demanding mountains.

His death on Broad Peak ended a journey that had taken him from a remote mountain community in Sankhuwasabha to Everest and several other major Himalayan summits. His story also reflects a side of high altitude mountaineering that is sometimes less visible: guides who not only help others reach summits, but also risk their own lives searching for and bringing home fellow climbers.

A Major Loss For Nepali Mountaineering

The Broad Peak disaster took the lives of Nawang and five other Nepali climbers, including Nirmal Purja, Pur Bahadur Gurung, Kili Pemba Sherpa, Nima Sherpa and Gyaljen Sherpa. Industry leaders have described the loss of so many experienced climbers in a single disaster as a serious blow to Nepal’s mountaineering community because developing skilled international level mountain guides requires years of training and expedition experience.

Nawang Thindu Sherpa leaves behind more than a list of summits. His short but remarkable career tells the story of a young guide who climbed some of the world’s highest mountains, stood beside fellow climbers in emergencies, and was building a name in Nepal’s mountaineering community before his life ended on Broad Peak.