Famed Mountaineer Missing On Nepal Mountain After 80-Foot Fall Transcript

Speaker 1: (00:00)
Tonight, rescuers in Nepal continuing their search for a famed US ski climber, a day after she fell off near the peak of Mount Manaslu, the world’s eighth largest mountain. Hilaree Nelson was skiing down the 26,775 foot summit with her partner, Jim Morrison, when she reportedly fell into a crevasse below the summit. This according to The Himalayan Times, who quoted an eyewitness saying “She fell approximately 80 feet.” Over the weekend, weather conditions worsening. This video captured on Friday showing the moment an avalanche cascades down the mountain. In an Instagram post five days ago, Nelson writing, “I haven’t felt as sure-footed on Manaslu as I have on past adventures into the thin atmosphere of the high Himalaya. These past weeks have tested my resilience in new ways.” Morrison also hinting at dangerous conditions, posting about the pair’s failed summit attempt. On Monday, another avalanche swept away several climbers at a lower elevation, killing a guide and injuring others.

Speaker 2: (01:09)
[foreign language 00:01:09].

Speaker 1: (01:11)
Sherpa, one of the injured said, “There were 13 to 14 people swept away by the avalanche. All of them now accounted for. Nelson still missing.”

Speaker 2: (01:22)
[foreign language 00:01:22].

Speaker 1: (01:28)
Nelson, a professional ski mountaineer and team captain for the North Face athlete team is no stranger to difficult climbs. The North Face calling her, “The most prolific ski mountaineer of her generation with a career spanning two decades, dozens of first descents through more than 50 expeditions to 16 countries.” The first woman to link two 8,000 meter peaks, Everest and Lhotse, in a 24 hour push. She returned to Lhotse, the world’s fourth highest mountain in 2018 to ski from the summit with Morrison. Our affiliate, KUSA, speaking with her at the time.

Speaker 3: (02:05)
Nobody has ever done it before, no. Not in its entirety. So I’m super… I feel like a little kid, I’m giggling about it.

Speaker 1: (02:13)
North Face in a statement saying “We’re in touch with Hilaree’s family and supporting search and rescue efforts in every way.” Her fate remains unknown, though a family member who spoke with NBC News said “It’s no longer a search mission, but rather one of recovery.” For Nelson’s partner Jim Morrison, this is not the first major accident to touch his life. He lost his wife and two small children in a plane crash back in 2011, an almost unimaginable level of grief for one person to bear.

Speaker 5: (02:46)
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