American Climber Shelley Johannesen Summits Makalu Before Dying in Avalanche

-based outfitter Dash Adventures, died in an avalanche on Mount Makalu after successfully reaching its 27,838-foot summit, expedition organizers said. Johannesen was killed on Monday while descending from the summit of the world's fifth-highest peak. She was struck by an avalanche at around 23,600 feet just below Camp 3, Nabin Trital, managing director of Expedition Himalaya, told AFP.

Officials announced Shelley Johannesen's death on Tuesday. Her body was flown to a Kathmandu hospital on Monday. She was climbing with a three-member team that included her partner David Ashley and two Nepali guides.

CBS News reported that David Roubinek, a 38-year-old Czech climber, and three Nepali guides have died in the Himalayas so far this season. David Ashley said he was heartbroken by Shelley Johannesen's death. "Shelley was not just an incredible person, but lived her life with no limits and chased her passions around the world," he said in a post on social media on Tuesday.

Makalu is a steep pyramid-shaped mountain southeast of Mount Everest. It is considered technically challenging because of extreme weather and its remote location. Nepal is home to eight of the world's 10 highest peaks.

The country attracts hundreds of climbers each year during the spring and autumn climbing seasons. Authorities have issued more than 1,000 permits this season for 30 mountains. They issued 72 permits for Makalu this season and a record 492 permits for Everest this season.

CBS News reported the fatalities come early in Nepal's busy spring climbing season.