September 28, 2022: North Face athlete and renowned ski mountaineer Hilaree Nelson was missing on Manaslu and has been found dead. Hilaree Nelson had gone missing just below the true summit of Mt Manaslu while her partner Jim Marrison skied down the 8613-meter peak on Monday.
According to sources, the body was spotted on the south face of Mt Manaslu this morning. Rescuers recovered and carried her body to the base camp. Her mortal remains are airlifted to Kathmandu.
eyewitnesses said she fell into a crevasse from just above the fore summit of the mountain when she along with Morrison skied from the real summit. She fell down around 25 meters into a vertical crevasse and had gone missing.
Rescuers located her body on the side of Larke peak.
On Instagram, her partner Jim wrote There are no words to describe the love for this woman, my life partner, my lover, my best friend, and my mountain partner.
She has been the beacon of light in my life day in and day out.
On September 26th at 10:42 am we reached the true summit of Manaslu in tough conditions. We quickly transitioned from climbing to skiing in cold and wind with a plan to ski around the corner and regroup with our Sherpa team. I skied first and after a few turns, Hilaree followed and started a small avalanche. She was swept off her feet and carried down a narrow snow slope down the south side (opposite from climbing route) of the mountain over 5000’. I did everything I could to locate her but was unable to go down the face as I hoped to find her alive and live my life with her.
I spent the last two days searching from the air in a helicopter.
Today with the help of @capt_surendra an incredibly skilled pilot we were able to land at 22,000 feet and search for her. @nimsdai was instrumental in helping organize the best team and resources possible and I found her body with the aid of @mt.sherpa today at 10:30 am. I’m in Kathmandu with her and her spirit.
My loss is indescribable and I am focused on her children and their steps forward. @hilareenelson is the most inspiring person in life and now her energy will guide our collective souls.
🙏 Peace be with us all. Pray for her family and community which is broadly stretched across our planet.
I’m devastated by the loss of her.
Hilaree and partner Jim had made the first ski descent of Lhotse, the fourth tallest mountain in the world, last year.
Hilaree is the most prolific ski mountaineer of her generation. The 49-year-old mother of two was the first female to scale two 8,000ers– Everest and Lhotse, in 24 hours. She is the first female to ski down from Lhotse, the fourth highest mountain in the fall of 2018 with her partner Jim. She was recognized as the National Geographic Adventurer of the Year in 2018. In the same year, she was named captain of The North Face Athlete Team, a title only one other athlete has held: Conrad Anker, according to North Face.
