American climber Shelley Johannesen dies in Makalu avalanche during descent
Shelley Johannesen reached Makalu’s summit, then was caught in an avalanche on the descent just below Camp 3, in a season already marked by four other deaths.
American climber Shelley Johannesen, 53, of Oregon, died Monday after an avalanche struck her on Mount Makalu as she descended from the summit of the world’s fifth-highest peak. Johannesen had already reached the 27,838-foot summit before the avalanche hit at about 23,600 feet, just below Camp 3.
She was climbing with a three-member team that included her partner, David Ashley, and two Nepali guides. Ashley said he was heartbroken by her death. Police in Sankhuwasabha district said the accident happened in an extremely remote area between Camp II and Camp III, roughly 7,200 meters up the mountain, where immediate access is difficult and details can take time to gather.
The District Police Office said it received word of the incident on Monday afternoon through Roshan Silwal, an employee of Seven Summit Treks. Investigators were still collecting further details as of Tuesday. Johannesen was co-founder of the U.S.-based outfitter Dash Adventures, and expedition reports said the team had reached Makalu’s summit on May 9 before the avalanche on May 10.
Makalu rises to 8,485 meters, or 27,838 feet, and the fatal descent underscores how quickly a successful summit push can turn into a rescue and recovery problem on Nepal’s highest peaks. The mountain sits within the same spring climbing system that is now under intense strain, with authorities issuing more than 1,000 permits for 30 mountains this season, including 72 for Makalu and a record 492 for Everest.
Johannesen’s death came amid a dangerous start to Nepal’s 2026 spring climbing season. At least four other climbers have died in the Himalayas so far this season, including Czech climber David Roubinek and three Nepali guides. Nepal, home to eight of the world’s 10 highest peaks, draws hundreds of climbers each year when the spring and autumn weather windows open, but the latest deaths are a stark reminder that rising traffic, narrow summit windows and remote terrain continue to test the limits of current safety systems.
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