A somber chapter closed on Broad Peak Sunday as ground teams recovered the body of celebrated Nepali climber Nirmal Purja, three days after an avalanche swept his 10-member expedition into the mountain's frozen depths. The Alpine Club of Pakistan (ACP) confirmed the find, alongside the recovery of three other climbers, bringing a measure of closure to a disaster that has shaken the global mountaineering community. The confirmation came after a grueling ground operation that navigated treacherous slopes and avalanche risk to reach Purja's resting place at approximately 5,700 meters on the world's 12th-highest peak. Main Developments Sunday's recovery operation marked a turning point in the search, with an eight-member ground team comprising climbers from Pakistan and Nepal reaching Camp 1 before 9am. The ACP announced that the team had located Purja's body and sighted three additional bodies at the same elevation, though their identities were initially unconfirmed. Read also: Why the second phase of AJK elections could reshape the region's politics Subsequent updates identified the three other recovered climbers as China's Wang Zhong and Nepal's Nima Sherpa and Kili Pemba Sherpa. The four identified climbers were being transported down to Camp 1 and beyond by the ground rescue team, the ACP said in a statement. Rescuers also confirmed the presence of one additional body at a significantly higher elevation, but the ACP noted that recovery attempts at that altitude were unlikely due to extremely hazardous terrain and prevailing conditions. Background The tragedy unfolded when all 10 members of Purja's team were reported missing after an avalanche struck Broad Peak. The expedition, organized by Elite Exped, included six Nepalese climbers and one each from Pakistan, Oman, the US and China. Recovery efforts began almost immediately, with Friday's operations yielding the bodies of Oman's Nadhira Ahmed Abdullah Al Harthy and Nepal's Pur Bahadur Gurung, along with remains believed to be those of American climber Sarah Mallory Geis. Saturday brought the recovery of Nepal's Gyalu Sherpa's body, while aerial reconnaissance spotted five other bodies on the mountain. Purja was no ordinary climber. The 43-year-old, who served in the British military with the Gurkhas and later in special forces, had set a record in 2019 for the fastest ascent of the world's 14 highest mountains, completing the feat in just six months. His journey was chronicled in the Netflix documentary '14 Peaks: Nothing Is Impossible,' released in 2021, which brought him international fame. Why It Matters Purja's death represents a profound loss for the mountaineering world, where he was regarded as a transformative figure. British climber Kenton Cool, who has climbed Everest 20 times, described Purja as a "charismatic, colourful" character who was "at the forefront of shaking up the high altitude guiding." The ACP's tribute captured his broader impact, remembering him as "a man who made the impossible possible" whose achievements "brought new recognition to Nepal's climbing community" and inspired dreamers globally. The disaster also underscores the inherent dangers of Broad Peak, a technically difficult 8,051-meter climb where terrain, avalanche risk and steep slopes continue to hamper rescue operations. For the families of all 10 climbers, the slow, painstaking recovery process highlights the extreme challenges of mountain rescue in such remote and hazardous environments, where even helicopters cannot operate due to weather conditions. What's Next The ground rescue team continues its mission to bring the recovered bodies down from Broad Peak, with the ACP monitoring the operation. The four identified climbers are currently being transported downward, though the treacherous conditions suggest the process will be slow and demanding. Questions remain about the one additional body spotted at higher elevation, which the ACP has indicated will likely remain unrecovered due to the extreme risk. The climbing community now faces the task of honoring Purja's legacy while grappling with the sobering reality that even the world's most accomplished mountaineers are not immune to the mountain's fury.