A day after a renowned American ski climber fell near the summit of the world’s eighth-highest mountain, Nepalese rescuers in a helicopter searched for her on Tuesday. Also on Monday, an avalanche at a lower elevation on Mount Manaslu killed a Nepalese guide and injured others.
According to Jiban Ghimire of Kathmandu-based Shangri-La Nepal Trek, which arranged and outfitted the excursion, Hilaree Nelson, 49, slid off the mountain while she and her partner Jim Morrison were skiing down from the 26,775-foot summit.
Hilaree Nelson, left, of Telluride, Colorado, and James Morrison, right, of Tahoe, California, raise their fists as they arrive in Kathmandu, Nepal, on October 4, 2018. Niranjan Shrestha / AP
“Yesterday, she was involved in an accident while descending just after reaching the summit. We are seeking clarification on what transpired “Ghimire informed AFP.
Monday’s rescue efforts were hindered by bad weather. As a result of Tuesday’s improved weather conditions, visibility was good, according to Ghimire.
Bigyan Koirala, a representative from the tourism department, stated that two search and rescue helicopters were dispatched to the region.
“It is suspected that she fell near the summit. Additionally, search teams on foot may be dispatched to the accident site “He said to AFP.
During Nepal’s autumn climbing season, hundreds of mountaineers and their local guides attempted to reach the top.
Monday, every climber caught in the avalanche was accounted for. Some of the injured were transported to hospitals in Kathmandu via helicopter.
Phurte Sherpa, one of the injured, estimated that 13 to 14 individuals were washed away by the avalanche.
“One of our companions perished in the avalanche, but the rescue chopper has not yet been able to remove the body,” Sherpa said. Others who have been harmed have broken hands and feet.
Tuesday, a rescue helicopter transported Sherpa and his brother to HAMS Hospital in Kathmandu.
He stated that they were on their way to Camp Four to drop off oxygen tanks when an avalanche forced them to descend to Camp Three.
Nelson, from Telluride, Colorado, and Morrison, from Tahoe, California, are extreme skiers who reached the summit of Mount Lhotse, the fourth-highest mountain in the world, in 2018.
“I am uncertain of the climber’s whereabouts, but her husband (partner) was with us during the search (today). We made two unsuccessful attempts to locate her via helicopter “Sherpa added.
The Nepalese government has authorized 504 mountaineers to attempt to scale high mountain peaks during autumn. The majority are atop Mount Manaslu.
Nelson’s sponsor, The North Face, acknowledged that the climber was gone.
Tuesday’s Instagram post from the company stated, “We are in contact with Hilaree’s family and are assisting search and rescue efforts in any way we can.”
“Generation’s most accomplished ski mountaineer”
Nelson, 49, has had a career spanning two decades and is hailed as “the most prolific ski mountaineer of her generation” on the company’s website.
In 2012, she was the first woman to conquer the world’s tallest mountain, Everest, and its neighbor, Lhotse, within 24 hours.
Six years later, she returned to Lhotse and skied down the mountain for the first time, earning her the National Geographic Adventurer of the Year title.
Nelson stated in an Instagram post from the previous week that her most recent ascent was extremely difficult due to “constant rain” and hazardous weather.
Nelson stated in an Instagram post on Thursday, “I haven’t felt as sure-footed on Manaslu as I have on previous adventures into the thin atmosphere of the upper Himalaya.”
These past weeks have challenged my fortitude in novel ways.
AFP contributed to the creation of this report.