An experienced American climber died in her partner’s arms in Nepal after being swept up in an avalanche while climbing the world’s fifth-tallest peak.

Shelley Johannesen, a mom of three from Oregon, was killed as she was descending from the summit of Mount Makalu on Monday.

The 53-year-old, who was a co-founder of the US-based outfitter Dash Adventures, was with her partner and two Nepali guides at the time.

Shelley Johannesen, a mom-of-three from Oregon, was killed as she was descending from the summit of Mount Makalu in Nepal on Monday. Shelley Johannesen/Facebook

“I am heartbroken to share that my beloved Shelley Johannesen passed away in the early morning hours on Nepal’s Mount Makalu on Monday,” her partner, Dave Ashley, said in a social media statement.

“She died in my arms high on the mountain due to injuries sustained from an avalanche at approximately 24,000 feet.”

Johannesen, a self-described high altitude mountaineer, had only just reached the mountain’s peak when the avalanche struck.

The…