Remains of World-renowned U.S. mountain skier Hilaree Nelson found in Himalayas

On Wednesday morning, the body of big-mountain skier Hilaree Nelson was found after she fell down a 5,000ft slope during a trek in the Himalayas two days earlier.

On Monday morning, Nelson and her partner, Jim Morrison successfully scaled the 26,781ft peak of Manaslu. Despite tough conditions,” as stated in an Instagram post on Wednesday by Morrison, they reached assisted by their sherpa team. The summit was conquered at 10:42 am.

“I skied first, and after a few turns Hilaree followed, and started a small avalanche. She was swept off her feet and carried down the south side (opposite from climbing route) of the mountain over 5,000ft. I did everything I could to locate her, but was unable to go down that face as I hoped to find her alive and live my life with her,” Morrison wrote.

Nelson was an experienced mountaineer and had summitted some of the world’s most difficult peaks, including Denali in Alaska and Mount Everest. She was also part of an all-female team that made the first descent of Nepal’s Lhotse Couloir in 2001.

“Hilaree was one of the most passionate, contagiously enthusiastic and driven people I have ever met, with an unrivaled joie de vivre,” Morrison wrote. “She was my best friend and partner in everything, and I will miss her dearly.”

Nelson, who was an eight-time member of the US Freeskiing World Championship Team, is survived by her husband and two young children.