Joe Rogan Experience #1790 - Nims Purja

1. 0:00 – 15:00

   (drumbeats) Joe Rogan podcast,…

   1. NPNims Purja0:00

      (drumbeats) Joe Rogan podcast, check it out. The Joe Rogan Experience.

   2. JRJoe Rogan0:06

      Train by day, Joe Rogan podcast by night, all day. (rock music) Well, hey, man, it's a pleasure to meet you.

   3. NPNims Purja0:14

      Hey, good to meet you. Are we starting?

   4. JRJoe Rogan0:16

      Yeah, we're rolling, man.

   5. NPNims Purja0:18

      (laughs)

   6. JRJoe Rogan0:18

      (laughs)

   7. NPNims Purja0:18

      I like it. No messing around. No messing around.

   8. JRJoe Rogan0:21

      I found out about your documentary from my friend, Cam Hanes. He's the one who told me about it. Uh, he, uh, he texted me and he said, "It's fucking incredible." And Cam is, uh, he does a lot of, uh, ultra-marathons and he does like, those 240-mile runs, those kind of things.

   9. NPNims Purja0:36

      Wow.

   10. JRJoe Rogan0:36

       So, he's one of those guys that like, he appreciates someone doing something completely insane. And so, he, he turned me onto it. He had glowing recommendations, so I had to, I had to check it out. It's, it's incredible what you did. The doc- the documentary's insane.

   11. NPNims Purja0:50

       Well, I must say, thanks, Cam, first things first.

   12. JRJoe Rogan0:54

       Yeah.

   13. NPNims Purja0:54

       And here we are. And, uh, did you, did you enjoy the film?

   14. JRJoe Rogan0:57

       I did. I enjoyed it very much. It's, uh, it's incredibly impressive. And, um, when, you know, you just came here from England, right? Is that what you're telling me?

   15. NPNims Purja1:06

       Yeah. So sure-

   16. JRJoe Rogan1:07

       Can you explain to me like, why, why you're in England?

   17. NPNims Purja1:10

       Yeah, so, um, there is a big thing called the Gurkhas, um, going back into 206 years ago, um, the British, when they were trying to run over the world, take over the world, the British Empire was in India. And, uh, when they were in India, they were trying to take over Nepal as well 'cause it's a neighboring country. Um, but, you know, they didn't had a luck (laughs) , they didn't had a chance. So, at that point, what, uh, the British government said was, "Hey, you know, we'll not attack Nepal anymore, but you know what? Is there any chance we can have, you know, all these, you know, you know, brave guys, you know, fighting for us?" And at that point, um, the prime minister, the, the, the government of Nepal were really, you know, sick of, you know, this heavy force coming with art- artilleries, you know, the big guns and, and attacking. So they were like, "You know what? Yeah, we happy." So...

   18. JRJoe Rogan2:06

       So, they made some sort of a truce?

   19. NPNims Purja2:08

       Yeah, so-

   20. JRJoe Rogan2:08

       And then-

   21. NPNims Purja2:09

       Yeah.

   22. JRJoe Rogan2:09

       ... Nepal joined in with England?

   23. NPNims Purja2:11

       Yes, yes.

   24. JRJoe Rogan2:12

       Hmm, I see.

   25. NPNims Purja2:12

       So, now it's 206 years and it's a big thing for us. So, I grew up dreaming to be a Gurkha. So, that was my like, childhood dream. And, uh, just to give an example, Joe, um, when I joined for the Gurkha, when I went for the selection, there were like, 32,000 people applying for it.

   26. JRJoe Rogan2:34

       Wow.

   27. NPNims Purja2:34

       And only 230 can make it. So, you can, you can do the ratio how tough it is. And, uh, but yeah, you know what? A lot of people say like, "Nims, you know, you know, you are here and, you know, you are successful and all that." But you know, mei, my success is, is not a coincidence. Going back where I was and specifically, you know, coming from really humbling background, like, forget everything. We didn't even have like, flip-flops. You know, forget the, the food. We didn't even have like, to eat meat. We had to wait for like, a big festival like Christmas. So, coming from that super poverty to, to where I am, and sometimes people say, "Oh, yeah, Nims is this and that," you know? Well, it took me 38 years to be, to be where I am.

   28. JRJoe Rogan3:20

       The people in America that aren't aware of the real poverty in the world and, and, you know, the, the, what people like to call the 1%.

   29. NPNims Purja3:29

       Yeah.

   30. JRJoe Rogan3:29

       People always like to use that term. But in America, the 1% we think of like, very, very wealthy people. If you look at the 1% of the world, if you make $34,000, you're in the top 1% of the world.
2. 15:00 – 30:00

   Hmm. …

   1. NPNims Purja15:00

      year old.

   2. JRJoe Rogan15:01

      Hmm.

   3. NPNims Purja15:01

      Yeah. (laughs)

   4. JRJoe Rogan15:02

      So, when you were young and you were running, when you were 16 years old, you'd get up at 1:00 in the morning. That was all just self-motivation?

   5. NPNims Purja15:10

      100%.

   6. JRJoe Rogan15:10

      You didn't know anybody that was like you that did-

   7. NPNims Purja15:13

      No.

   8. JRJoe Rogan15:13

      ... anything like that? That's amazing.

   9. NPNims Purja15:14

      I just wanted to fulfill my dream to be, to be a Gurkha.

   10. JRJoe Rogan15:18

       Yeah.

   11. NPNims Purja15:19

       And I think that was, that was my motivation then.

   12. JRJoe Rogan15:22

       That i- is incredible. It's incredible that you had that much discipline early on. And when I'm hearing about you running with 75 pounds on your back, all I'm thinking is, like, "How did you not destroy your knees?"

   13. NPNims Purja15:32

       My... There's only one super human. That's right, he's standing in front of you, brother. (laughs)

   14. JRJoe Rogan15:39

       (laughs)

   15. NPNims Purja15:40

       Uh, I- I- I really don't, I think-

   16. JRJoe Rogan15:42

       That's a lot of weight to run 20 kilometers with.

   17. NPNims Purja15:44

       I think what it got me or what it balanced the whole thing was my swimming element-

   18. JRJoe Rogan15:48

       Hmm.

   19. NPNims Purja15:49

       ... because I used to swim, right? And then, even though my training was super intense and it's, like, you know, the, the, the gravity, the friction part, but-

   20. JRJoe Rogan15:56

       Mm-hmm.

   21. NPNims Purja15:57

       ... unknowingly I was doing, you know, a 100 laps. And I think because, you know, that is more for, like, flexibility and all those stuff, so-

   22. JRJoe Rogan16:04

       Mm-hmm.

   23. NPNims Purja16:05

       ... I think that just happened naturally.

   24. JRJoe Rogan16:07

       Hmm. Wow, that's, it's, it's incredible. So, when did you decide that you were gonna do this 14 peaks thing and then film this?

   25. NPNims Purja16:18

       Okay.

   26. JRJoe Rogan16:18

       And like, what was, what was the moment where this idea came into your head?

   27. NPNims Purja16:22

       So, Joe, there obviously you got- you asked me two question. Let me break down. So 2019, um, at this point, I'd served with the UK Special Forces for 10 years. I've been around the world. I had obviously done some crazy shit, you know, that, you know, people wouldn't have probably see on the movies and all that. So what happened in 2019 was I found a purpose. And, uh, look, just to, just to even put things into perspective, at this point, I had served 16 years in the British military. I had only six years left to get the full pension. So, you know... So if you look from the, the financial perspective, you know, I'm really there to get the full pension, but then I got this idea, like, the, the 14 peaks. So, why I'm doing this? So, I had two purpose. The first one was, look, doesn't matter where you come from, what your background is, whatever that is, you can literally show the world nothing is impossible, no excuses. And the second one was, look, the Nepalese climbing community, the Sherpas, are the king of eight-thousanders, but we never had the right c- you know, like, credits. And I wanted to raise the name of the Nepalese climbers. And those two purpose gave me the strength. So, what happened after that was straightaway I went into the HR. I put my resignation. And people went mental. They were like... You know, my brother specifically, like, (inhales sharply) "Nims, you know what? You're so selfish." Because at this point, I used to send-... you know, a chunk of my salary every month to my mum and dad. I really believe that. And our parents, you know, th- they look after us when we are, like, kids and vulnerable. And as a give back to them when they get older, they're also invulnerable, they cannot work and all that. So, I was always, you know, like, sending them money. So, when I, when I decided about this project and when I put the resignation, I know that there's no money going to them. My brother went really mental. He's like, "Nims, you know, you are the, the most strongest financial contributor in our family. And you know what? None of the Gurkhas have ever been there. You should, you should complete your career." And I was like, "No, brother." And, and we didn't talk for three months, me and my brother. And he's like my father. He's the one who sent me to boarding school.

   28. JRJoe Rogan18:57

       I'm gonna, I'm gonna slow you down here. Y- so, you had this idea and because of this idea, you decided to resign?

   29. NPNims Purja19:03

       Yeah.

   30. JRJoe Rogan19:04

       This idea of climbing the 14 peaks, when, when it first came into your head, what was your goal? It was just to elevate the Nepalese climbers? Was it to raise money? Was it to raise awareness?
3. 30:00 – 45:00

   Yeah. …

   1. NPNims Purja30:00

      it's that muscle memory, you know, where I have been- I have been training, you know, since I was kid and then-

   2. JRJoe Rogan30:06

      Yeah.

   3. NPNims Purja30:06

      ... you know, like nonstop. And obviously which, you know, we discussed earlier. I think that's what-... what it- it made me who I am today, um, you know, the hard work, the- the training and training and training. Um, but Joe, you know, like, a lot of people think probably, you know, like, "Oh, yeah. Nims is from Nepal. He's from the mountains and- and he climb all these peak." You know, I grew up in the most flat-

   4. JRJoe Rogan30:29

      (laughs)

   5. NPNims Purja30:29

      ... and the hottest part of Nepal.

   6. JRJoe Rogan30:31

      How flat is it? What's the altitude there?

   7. NPNims Purja30:32

      Mate, it's- it's, like, almost, like, you know, sea level. And it is, like, probably-

   8. JRJoe Rogan30:35

      It's sea level?

   9. NPNims Purja30:35

      ... 40, 45 degrees hot.

   10. JRJoe Rogan30:37

       Oh.

   11. NPNims Purja30:38

       Celsius.

   12. JRJoe Rogan30:38

       Oh, that's very hot.

   13. NPNims Purja30:40

       That's very hot, mate. Even the flies would die on the road.

   14. JRJoe Rogan30:42

       Yeah. What is 45 degrees Celsius?

   15. NPNims Purja30:44

       (laughs)

   16. JRJoe Rogan30:44

       That's like 100 in-

   17. NPNims Purja30:45

       Google it, buddy. (laughs)

   18. JRJoe Rogan30:46

       I wanna say that's, like, 110. Is it higher? Yeah, 113. 113? Oh, my God.

   19. NPNims Purja30:52

       It's crazy, mate. And it's that hot, sometimes, you know, those are- those leaves-

   20. JRJoe Rogan30:55

       And it's like sea level. Do- do-

   21. NPNims Purja30:58

       ... ...

   22. JRJoe Rogan30:58

       One of the things they were saying about the sherpas is that they're so adapted to that- that area that they're-

   23. NPNims Purja31:05

       Environment, yeah.

   24. JRJoe Rogan31:05

       Yeah, the-

   25. NPNims Purja31:06

       The altitude.

   26. JRJoe Rogan31:06

       It's literally changed their genetics. There's this, um... They did-

   27. NPNims Purja31:11

       Yeah.

   28. JRJoe Rogan31:11

       ... this study on some of the sherpas that assist the people on Mount Everest, in particular.

   29. NPNims Purja31:15

       Mm-hmm.

   30. JRJoe Rogan31:15

       And they said that- that they're so extraordinary that, um, they were studying them, they were saying it's literally had an effect on their DNA.
4. 45:00 – 1:00:00

   But doesn't that make…

   1. NPNims Purja45:00

      but-

   2. JRJoe Rogan45:00

      But doesn't that make sense? 'Cause you saw it and you had high altitude sickness.

   3. NPNims Purja45:04

      Yeah. Yeah. So that was crazy, man. And, uh, yeah, eventually, now getting into your question, did I speak to anybody? No. I had enough with those people.

   4. JRJoe Rogan45:13

      Right.

   5. NPNims Purja45:14

      I got to base camp. Uh, out of four people we helped, two s- two survived on that day. And I went to Everest to-

   6. JRJoe Rogan45:21

      So two survived and two died?

   7. NPNims Purja45:22

      Yeah.

   8. JRJoe Rogan45:23

      Wow.

   9. NPNims Purja45:25

      Yeah.

   10. JRJoe Rogan45:25

       Jesus. So y- but you're still determined to do this?

   11. NPNims Purja45:29

       Yeah. And then, yeah, I went to Everest and then-

   12. JRJoe Rogan45:32

       Did you ever think of doing it with, like, less people so that you don't have to be involved with other people that could trip you up like that?

   13. NPNims Purja45:39

       But you can't stop people going on the mountain, right? It's the nature.

   14. JRJoe Rogan45:42

       So there's no... Right. There's no time where you could just-

   15. NPNims Purja45:43

       No timing, nothing and all that. You know, you just, you just deal with how it comes.

   16. JRJoe Rogan45:47

       Right.

   17. NPNims Purja45:47

       Yeah.

   18. JRJoe Rogan45:48

       And there's always people trying to summit.

   19. NPNims Purja45:50

       Always. Always.

   20. JRJoe Rogan45:50

       Yeah. All day long, right?

   21. NPNims Purja45:52

       All day.

   22. JRJoe Rogan45:52

       Every, every day of the year.

   23. NPNims Purja45:53

       Every season. Every season. So-

   24. JRJoe Rogan45:55

       Mm-hmm.

   25. NPNims Purja45:55

       ... people climb Everest, uh, in spring season because that's where the weather is really good. Then they climb K2 in summer. That's when the wea- weather in Pakistan is good. And, and there's, like, a season, you know, where the weather is good and there's always, like, people climbing.

   26. JRJoe Rogan46:08

       Do people try to climb it out of season?

   27. NPNims Purja46:10

       Yeah.

   28. JRJoe Rogan46:11

       They climb it when the weather's bad?

   29. NPNims Purja46:13

       C- yeah.

   30. JRJoe Rogan46:13

       'Cause it's a cheaper vacation? (laughs)
5. 1:00:00 – 1:13:34

   Right. …

   1. NPNims Purja1:00:00

      you don't 'cause it's-

   2. JRJoe Rogan1:00:01

      Right.

   3. NPNims Purja1:00:01

      ... it's too crazy. And just to put things into perspective, if you are on like even, let's say, climbing Everest, you are 8,000-meter peak, just to get your gloves out, open your, like, you know, zipper, take the iPhone out, and take a picture, that's like dragging a car at sea level. And hence why people don't have many pictures 'cause it's, it's so much tiring.

   4. JRJoe Rogan1:00:20

      Wow.

   5. NPNims Purja1:00:20

      It's multiplied by that, that much element.

   6. JRJoe Rogan1:00:23

      And i- d- so you're just eating whatever food they have in the area?

   7. NPNims Purja1:00:28

      Yeah, yeah.

   8. JRJoe Rogan1:00:29

      Are you... Are you trying to supplement yourself with vitamins or anything, to try... Is there anything that helps you?

   9. NPNims Purja1:00:34

      Mate, I'm t- I'm gonna be honest with you. I have never taken any supplements or anything in my whole life. Like, n-

   10. JRJoe Rogan1:00:38

       No vitamins, nothing?

   11. NPNims Purja1:00:39

       Nothing.

   12. JRJoe Rogan1:00:40

       Wow.

   13. NPNims Purja1:00:41

       Yeah. Even when I was training for the Special Forces, do all these things.

   14. JRJoe Rogan1:00:44

       Just eating and working out?

   15. NPNims Purja1:00:45

       Just eating and, you know, th- I eat what I want and I just train hard and, yeah.

   16. JRJoe Rogan1:00:49

       So, i- is there anything that they say you should or shouldn't do when you're, when you're i- in that environment? Like, I would think alcohol would be a terrible idea.

   17. NPNims Purja1:01:00

       (laughs) .

   18. JRJoe Rogan1:01:00

       Right? Because it would dehydrate you, right?

   19. NPNims Purja1:01:02

       Yeah.

   20. JRJoe Rogan1:01:03

       But you still drink alcohol up there?

   21. NPNims Purja1:01:04

       Yeah, I do. I do though, you know.

   22. JRJoe Rogan1:01:06

       (laughs) .

   23. NPNims Purja1:01:06

       Because, but you know my rule is the moment I drink alcohol and I cannot perform, that's the end of it.

   24. JRJoe Rogan1:01:16

       Mm-hmm.

   25. NPNims Purja1:01:16

       You can go and have fun, whatever you do in life, you know, of course you can, you can go. But as long as you don't mess up your mission plan, you know-

   26. JRJoe Rogan1:01:24

       Yeah.

   27. NPNims Purja1:01:25

       ... that is good enough.

   28. JRJoe Rogan1:01:26

       Dehydration's a real issue though, right?

   29. NPNims Purja1:01:28

       Yeah, I, it-

   30. JRJoe Rogan1:01:29

       So, do you-

Episode duration: 2:10:06