14 Peaks: Nothing Is Impossible (2021)
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2025-09 to 2026-08
Nepalese mountaineer Nirmal Purja attempts to summit all 14 of the world's highest peaks in a record-breaking seven-month window.
The story
The documentary follows Nepalese mountaineer Nirmal Purja and his team as they attempt to climb all 14 eight-thousander peaks within a record time of under seven months. Starting in April 2019, the team begins with Annapurna, the most dangerous eight-thousander. Despite facing extreme weather, life-threatening accidents, and the heavy responsibility of rescuing stricken climbers, Purja pushes forward to meet his ambitious goal. The film captures the physical and financial risks involved in 'Project Possible,' highlighting the sacrifices made by Purja and his family to achieve this unprecedented mountaineering feat.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Beginning on April 23, 2019, Nirmal Purja attempts to summit Annapurna with Canadian climber Don Bowie. After a successful summit, Purja rescues a stricken climber, losing his weather window for Dhaulagiri, which his team summits on May 12. He then completes a 22-hour push to summit Kanchenjunga on May 15, where he and his team encounter and attempt to save two stricken Indian climbers, resulting in one death and Purja suffering HACE. Purja then completes a record 48-hour push to summit Everest, Lhotse, and Makalu by May 24. The film includes interviews regarding Purja's military background and the financial risks of Project Possible. Purja then moves to the Karakoram range, surviving a dangerous fall on Nanga Parbat before summiting Gasherbrum I and II. Despite low spirits and avalanches at K2, his team lays fixed ropes, allowing Purja to summit on July 24. After a brief return to Kathmandu for his mother's heart attack, he summits Cho Oyu, Manaslu, and Shishapangma. He calls his dying mother from the final summit of Shishapangma on October 29, 2019, before reuniting with her to celebrate the completion of Project Possible.
- First release year
- 2021
- Runtime (minutes)
- 101
- Production countries
- United Kingdom; United States
- Original languages
- Nepali; English
- Directors
- Torquil Jones
- Writers
- Gabriel Clarke · writer; Torquil Jones · writer
- Cast and characters
- Nirmal Purja · Nimsdai; Suchi Purja · Nirmal Purja's wife; Kamal Purja · Nirmal Purja's brother; Mingma Gyabu Sherpa · climbing team; Geljen Sherpa · climbing team; Lakpa Dendi Sherpa · climbing team; Gesman Tamang · climbing team; Reinhold Messner · climber interviewed about the project
- Genres
- documentary
- Themes
- Perseverance; Teamwork; National Pride; Sacrifice
- Tone and mood
- Stirring; Mesmerizing; Inspiring
- Premise and plot tags
- Documentary; Climbing; Mountaineering; Real-life Adventure
- Reception
- The film received positive reviews, with critics praising its message of communal bonds, its stirring journey, and its ability to motivate viewers. It holds a 90% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
- Reported review scores
- RogerEbert.com · score: 3 · scale: 4
- Production trivia
- Purja remortgaged his own UK house to fund the project.; The film was compiled from 100 hours of footage taken by Purja and the Nepalese climbing team.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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