An experienced climber who died after being caught in an avalanche on one of the world’s highest mountains was cradled in her partner’s arms during her final moments.
Shelley Johannesen, from Oregon, USA, was killed while descending Mount Makalu in Nepal after reaching the summit of the world’s fifth-highest peak.
Johannesen, 53, a mother of three and co-founder of adventure company Dash Adventures, died on Monday (11 May) after suffering injuries in an avalanche at around 24,000ft.
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Her partner, David Ashley, who was climbing alongside her with two Nepali guides, confirmed the tragedy in a statement shared on social media.
He wrote: “She died in my arms high on the mountain due to injuries sustained by an avalanche.”
Ashley later described the grief following her death as “utterly soul crushing”.
In a further update posted yesterday, Wednesday (13 May), he revealed he had reached out for professional help as he struggled to process the loss, as reported by Need To Know.
“I’ve reached out to a mental health/grief counsellor today. Thank you all for checking in,” he wrote.
“Despair can be a deeper hole than I ever imagined. But there is a bottom.
“And I can feel myself coming back up again. I’m not sure when it happened, but there was a breath that was easier to take. And another. And another.”
Johannesen had been documenting her expedition online in the days before the climb.
In what became her final public post, she described waiting for a safe weather window at Makalu Base Camp and said she was “healthy and ready to go” with her team.
“This is going to be a tough climb,” she wrote.
“Different than Everest and I am excited to see, experience, feel what I have to offer this mountain.”
Makalu, which stands at 27,838ft, is considered one of the world’s most technically difficult mountains due to its steep pitches and unpredictable weather conditions.
According to expedition officials in Nepal, Johannesen had only recently reached the summit before the avalanche struck while descending near the mountain’s third camp.
She later died while receiving medical treatment on the mountain before her body was flown to Kathmandu.
Ashley said he was now arranging cremation services in Nepal in line with Johannesen’s wishes before planning a memorial service in the United States with her family.
“Love those closest to you harder,” he wrote.
“You’ll realize it was never enough when they are gone.”
The tragedy came just months after Ashley launched a fundraising campaign linked to the Makalu expedition, describing his goal of becoming the first living kidney donor to attempt climbing the peak.
In the fundraiser, posted in February, Ashley explained he had donated a kidney to a former military classmate in 2017 before later climbing Mount Everest and completing the Seven Summits challenge.
He wrote: “This expedition is about more than just reaching the summit; it’s about inspiring others and breaking down misconceptions about what living kidney donors can do.”
Ashley added: “It’s 1 Kidney Beyond Everest: almost as tall, but more difficult than Everest.”
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