Climber survives deadly Nepal avalanche that killed partner: 'She passed through my arms'
Dave Ashley, a retired U.S. Air Force officer and founder of DASH Adventures, had reached the summit earlier this month with his partner, Shelley Johannesen before an avalanche struck. (Credit: DASH Adventrues)
FRANCIS, Utah - A Utah man is recovering from frostbite after surviving an avalanche in Nepal this month that killed his partner.
Dig deeper:
Dave Ashley, 51, a retired US Air Force officer, is also the founder of DASH Adventures, a travel company that leads hiking and expedition trips around the world.
Earlier this month, he and his partner, Shelley Johannesen, along with their guides decided to climb to the top of Makalu, the fifth-highest mountain on Earth.
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They reached the peak of the mountain but on the way back down to their base camp, the group was hit by an avalanche.
Ashley and his guide regained their footing but Johannesen and her guide, Tawa Sherpa, were severely injured.
Utah man speaks out after partner dies in Nepal avalanche
Dave Ashley spoke with FOX's Chris Williams about surviving an avalanche in Nepal that tragically killed his partner, Shelley Johannesen.
Ashley said he stayed by his partner's side until help arrived, but she succumbed to her injuries.
"As the morning came, I had Shelly's head in my lap, and I was bent over with a sleeping bag over us, keeping us warm," he cried in an interview with FOX Television Stations. "I noticed her head kept drooping down, and I tried to wake her up, and she had snow on her face."
"I realized that she was…she passed," he added. "She passed through my arms."
What they're saying:
Ashley is currently in Utah recovering from his injuries due to frostbite.
"I lost my partner unexpectedly," he said. "It's going to take some time to work through that. Shelly is irreplaceable. She's my partner in so many ways and so many levels."
(Credit: DASH Adventures)
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Ashley said Johannesen was passionate about climbing. He said she also shared three children with her former husband.
"I'll never be able to find someone like her again. I miss her terribly."
What's next:
Ashley said he plans to continue mountain climbing this summer, believing Johannesen would've encouraged him to stick with it and not give in to the usual hustle and bustle of life.
"I think more people, if they're honest with themselves, they can break those same chains and whatever it is that lights their passion, they could pursue it 100%," he said. "Shelley's a role model for that."
What you can do:
Ashley has set up a GoFundMe page to go to the Sherpas and their families to help with their expenses.
What to know about avalanches
Big picture view:
Each winter about 25 people on average die in avalanches in the U.S., with most occurring in the wilderness, according to the National Avalanche Center. They are rare at ski resorts, which manage their slopes and trigger smaller slides on purpose when no visitors are around.
It generally takes just two ingredients to create dangerous conditions: A slope of 30 degrees or more and layers upon layers of snow.
Extra pressure on top of that snowpack from weight, wind, rain, heavy snow or motion can cause some of the layers to shear off and slide downhill.
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Sometimes a slide happens in the form of loose snow, called a sluff. Sluffs account for only a small percentage of deaths and property damage from avalanches, according to the Sierra Avalanche Center.
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Other avalanches are made up of slabs, which happen when a large layer of snow breaks away. Those account for most fatalities.
Another kind of avalanche occurs when wind creates a cornice of snow that hangs over a ridge or the edge of a steep slope. The overhang can collapse suddenly, catching anyone underneath or on top of it by surprise, according to the Colorado Avalanche Information Center.
Movement, rapidly changing weather, wind — any one of these things can set off an avalanche.
The Source: The Associated Press contributed to this report. The information in this story comes primarily from interviews Dave Ashley gave to FOX Television Stations following the avalanche on Nepal’s Makalu mountain. This story was reported from Los Angeles.