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US climber dies in avalanche on Nepal’s Mount Makalu

An American climber has died in an avalanche on Mount Makalu, officials said on Tuesday, as fatalities mount early in Nepal’s busy spring climbing season.
Shelley…

By Samantha Johnson / May 12, 2026
An American climber has died in an avalanche on Mount Makalu, officials said on Tuesday, as fatalities mount early in Nepal’s busy spring climbing season.

Shelley Johannesen, 53, was killed on Monday while descending from the summit of the world’s fifth-highest peak, expedition organisers said, marking the season’s latest death.

David Roubinek, a 38-year-old Czech climber, and three Nepali guides have died in the Himalayas so far this season.

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Johannesen, co-founder of US-based outfitter Dash Adventures, had successfully reached the 8,485-metre (27,800ft) summit before she was struck by an avalanche at around 7,200m while coming down.

“She was hit by an avalanche just below Camp 3,” Nabin Trital, managing director of Expedition Himalaya, said.

Mountaineers form a queue as they approach the summit of Mount Everest in Nepal. The country attracts hundreds of climbers each year during the spring and autumn climbing seasons. Photo: AP
Mountaineers form a queue as they approach the summit of Mount Everest in Nepal. The country attracts hundreds of climbers each year during the spring and autumn climbing seasons. Photo: AP

She was climbing with a three-member team that included her partner David Ashley and two Nepali guides.

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