CHAPTERS
- 0:00 – 1:10
Meeting Nims & discovering the ‘14 Peaks’ documentary
Joe welcomes Nims Purja and explains how Cam Hanes recommended the Netflix film. Nims reacts to the praise and they set the stage for a deep dive into his background and mindset.
- •Cam Hanes’ endorsement prompts Joe to watch the documentary
- •Joe’s first impressions: the feat and the film are “insane”
- •Nims and Joe establish a fast, no-fuss conversational tone
- 1:10 – 2:12
Why Nims lives in England: Gurkha history and identity
Nims explains the 200+ year Gurkha relationship with the British Army and how it shaped his life. He frames becoming a Gurkha as a childhood dream and cultural aspiration.
- •Origins of the Gurkhas and the British–Nepal truce
- •Gurkhas as a prestigious path for Nepalese youth
- •Nims’ personal connection: dream to become a Gurkha
- 2:12 – 4:13
From extreme poverty to elite ambition
Nims describes growing up in severe poverty and contrasts global definitions of wealth with lived reality in Nepal. The conversation highlights how long-term effort—not “luck”—created his success.
- •Childhood scarcity (food, shoes, basic comforts)
- •Joe’s perspective on global income and the ‘top 1%’
- •Nims emphasizes success as decades of work and sacrifice
- 4:13 – 6:39
Secret training at boarding school: discipline before anyone is watching
Nims recounts sneaking out at night as a teenager to run long distances to prepare for Gurkha selection. He links early rule-breaking and relentless practice to future elite performance.
- •Waking at 1 a.m. to run ~30 km before school
- •Strict school environment and fear of punishment
- •Early example of self-motivation and long-term planning
- 6:39 – 9:53
Chasing the next impossible: becoming the first Gurkha in the SBS
After joining the Gurkhas, Nims learns about UK Special Forces and sets his sights on the SBS despite people telling him it’s impossible. He details an extreme training schedule—including physical prep and learning humor/culture—culminating in a historic first.
- •SAS/SBS explained via US equivalents (Delta/SEAL Team Six)
- •Peers dismiss the goal because no Gurkha had done it
- •Training day breakdown (ruck runs, cycling, swimming, labor work)
- •Preparation beyond fitness: English humor and mental adaptability
- •Becomes the first Gurkha to pass SBS selection
- 9:53 – 16:22
What ‘self-discipline’ really means (and the role models he did have)
Joe probes where Nims’ drive comes from; Nims distinguishes external discipline from internal self-discipline. He also shares the unlikely role models that inspired him later: Muhammad Ali and Bruce Lee.
- •Self-discipline = training when no one enforces it
- •Motivation as a learned, layered development from childhood goals
- •No TV/limited exposure growing up; inspiration comes later
- •Role models: Muhammad Ali and Bruce Lee
- 16:22 – 19:32
Project Possible: quitting the military to attempt all 14 eight-thousanders
Nims explains the moment he found purpose in 2019: proving ‘no excuses’ and elevating Nepalese climbers’ recognition. He resigned from Special Forces despite being close to full pension, creating major family and financial tension.
- •Two purposes: show ‘nothing is impossible’ and credit Nepalese climbers
- •Resigns with only ~6 years left to pension
- •Family conflict, especially with his older brother
- •Commitment first, certainty later
- 19:32 – 26:21
Funding the dream with no media experience: mortgages, GoFundMe, and belief
With little sponsorship and no social media presence, Nims learns fundraising from scratch while burning savings. He remortgages his house, starts GoFundMe, and leaves for Nepal with only a fraction of required funding—planning to prove credibility by action.
- •Estimated cost: up to ~$2M; he budgets under ~$1M bare-minimum style
- •Early outreach includes handwritten letters to major entrepreneurs
- •Remortgaging the house to seed the project (~7% of funding)
- •Learns social media/hashtags from zero; runs his own accounts
- •Leaves for Nepal with ~15% funding, betting that results will attract support
- 26:21 – 32:27
Starting with Annapurna: danger, stats, and being ‘out of shape’ from admin stress
Nims begins with Annapurna—one of the most avalanche-prone 8,000m peaks—and the conversation clarifies fatality statistics. He admits he arrived heavier and undertrained due to relentless fundraising and logistics, while Joe highlights his elite cardio.
- •Annapurna’s avalanche risk and grim historical fatality rate discussion
- •Joe/Jamie fact-check and refine the statistics
- •Nims: fundraising/admin left him ~10 kg heavier and undertrained
- •VO2 max and ‘muscle memory’ from lifelong training
- 32:27 – 36:14
Everest traffic photo and the reality behind ‘too many people’ headlines
Joe asks about Nims’ famous Everest queue photo and the backlash it sparked. Nims argues the crowding was driven by an unusually small weather window and criticizes simplistic media narratives while acknowledging legitimate environmental issues.
- •Nims confronts the credit/attribution story behind the viral photo
- •Explains summit-window compression causing bottlenecks
- •Marathon analogy: popularity doesn’t equal ease
- •Media incentives vs nuance in expedition realities
- 36:14 – 46:54
Death zone physiology: HACE, hallucinations, rescues, and betrayal on the radio
Nims describes the physiological breakdown at 8,000m and recounts a harrowing sequence: rescuing stranded climbers, running out of oxygen, a death in his arms, and hallucinations (including thinking he saw a yeti). He also describes calling for help from nearby climbers and being ignored.
- •Death zone explained as ‘drowning’—constant survival state
- •HACE (High Altitude Cerebral Edema): symptoms and only cure (descend)
- •Rescue decisions that jeopardized schedule and safety
- •Radio calls for oxygen; some climbers turn radios off
- •One climber dies after oxygen runs out; Nims continues without O2 for hours
- •Hallucinations: perceived ‘yeti’ and cognitive distortion
- 46:54 – 53:10
How the film got made: self-shot footage, then a bidding war and Netflix deal
Nims reveals that he and his team filmed much of the project themselves while climbing, with no production backing upfront. After completing the feat, he shopped 100+ hours of footage, partnered with Noah Media, and later brought in Jimmy Chin and others before selling to Netflix (over other bidders).
- •No crew at the start; team self-films and even flies drones mid-climb
- •Challenges of authenticity and awkwardness with cameras (hospital scene)
- •Post-expedition: 100+ hours of footage becomes leverage
- •Noah Media + director Torquil Jones assemble the documentary
- •Jimmy Chin and partners join later; Netflix chosen for global reach
- 53:10 – 1:19:07
Impact, criticism, and giving back: cleanup project, bodies, and mountain ethics
They discuss the documentary’s reach and its motivational impact on viewers, including mental health messages. Nims addresses waste and debris on major peaks and promotes the Big Mountain Cleanup Project, discussing the realities of removing trash and bodies at extreme altitude.
- •Viewer impact: motivation, perspective shifts, suicide-prevention messages
- •Nims’ view: story bigger than climbing—‘we all have mountains’
- •Big Mountain Cleanup Project: Manaslu/Everest/Ama Dablam/K2 plans
- •Trash volume on peaks; difficulty of cleanup at 8,000m
- •Bodies: some recovered, others lost in crevasses/snow accumulation
- 1:19:07 – 1:29:26
Winter K2: -65°C, unprecedented difficulty, and summiting together as a message
Nims explains why K2’s first winter ascent mattered and what made it uniquely brutal. He emphasizes team achievement—summiting together and singing Nepal’s national anthem—to symbolize unity during a difficult global period.
- •K2 as the last 8,000m winter ‘holdout’ before the Nepal team’s ascent
- •Extreme cold and wind: -65°C, hurricane-like conditions, heavy layering
- •Other expeditions’ high points vs pushing to the summit
- •Team-first ethos: coordinated final meters and anthem at the top
- •Discussion of frostnip/frostbite and risk management
- 1:29:26 – 1:55:46
Life after the movie: guiding, elite safety record, and how clients acclimatize
Nims explains he isn’t “set for life” from Netflix and now guides expeditions most of the year through his company. He details his success rate, how he evaluates clients, and the slow acclimatization process (and why tough egos can be the biggest problem).
- •Guiding work via Elite Exped; guiding high-profile clients
- •Claimed record: 26 guided 8,000m expeditions with no failed summits or major injuries
- •Training pipeline: Aconcagua → 8,000m peak (e.g., Manaslu) → Everest
- •Acclimatization schedule from Lukla trekking to Camps 1–4
- •Altitude reality: speed at sea level doesn’t translate; humility required
- 1:55:46 – 2:10:06
Purpose, risk, and ‘centrality of the mission’: mindset lessons from combat and mountains
Nims ties his Special Forces experiences—including being shot and continuing the fight—to his mountaineering philosophy of mission focus. Joe and Nims close by discussing negativity, envy, reframing setbacks, and living with intention rather than fear.
- •Combat story: sniper hits rifle; continues mission with pistol and borrowed weapon
- •‘Centrality of the mission’ applied to fundraising, criticism, and endurance
- •Reframing adversity: the stolen oxygen story and positive self-talk
- •Dealing with haters: crabs-in-a-bucket and ‘dogs barking’ metaphors
- •Closing reflections on mortality, passion, and choosing to ‘live’ not ‘exist’
