UPDATE: Hilaree Nelson Killed in Avalanche on Manaslu

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UPDATE: Hilaree Nelson's body was found this morning by her partner Jim Morrison and a team of Sherpa including Mingma Tenzi Sherpa, Nirmal Purja, and pilot Surendra Paudel. Nelson and Morrison had summited Manaslu on Monday morning, and after skiing off the summit, Nelson triggered a small avalanche that swept her down the south side of the mountain. Morrison attempted a rescue but was unable to climb down the face. He was able to safely descend to camp before searching from the air for the last two days. 

Nelson went missing just below the summit after skiing off the top on September 26. Separately on Monday, a large avalanche killed a climber and buried scores of others between camp three and four at around 7,450 meters. Three helicopters were mobilized to assist in rescue operations on the mountain.

Nelson was one of the most prolific ski mountaineers of her generation, with over 40 expeditions and dozens of first descents including the first ski descent of Lhotse in 2018 and several other 8000 meter summits. She was a mother of two and a hero, mentor and friend to many in the mountain community. As the team captain of the North Face Athlete Team, she guided and mentored generations of athletes and shared a love for wild places that was unmistakable. 

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