SEATTLE — In January 2020, ski mountaineer Hilaree Nelson broke trail on the last few hundred steps to the summit of Mount Vinson, the tallest mountain in Antarctica, on a previously unclimbed route. Nelson, The North Face athlete team captain, led the final push in a team that included her predecessor and the only other person to hold that role, renowned climber Conrad Anker.
Garrett Madison, founder and president of Seattle-based guide service Madison Mountaineering, was also on that acclimatization climb to prepare for a first-ever attempt on Mount Tyree, the continent's second-tallest peak. "She was very strong, caring and empathetic toward other team members," Madison said. But in that moment on Vinson, he also had a more blunt assessment: "Wow, this woman is really incredible."
Superlatives are understatements to describe Nelson's physical prowess and mountain accomplishments. Nelson, 49, who grew up in the Seattle area and learned to ski at Stevens Pass, went missing Monday in an avalanche in Nepal as she descended from the 26,781-foot high Manaslu, the world's eighth-tallest peak. Her body was found Wednesday in a rescue operation that included her climbing and romantic partner Jim Morrison.
