Nancy Jackson (climber)

Nancy Jackson (c. 1956 – March 27, 1990) was an American mountain climber, known for her expertise on Mount Rainier and as a climbing guide. She died while taking part in the 1990 American Manaslu Expedition when she was caught in an avalanche.^[1]

Jackson grew up in Moscow, Idaho; her father Melbourne L. Jackson (1915–2004) was a professor of chemical engineering at the University of Idaho, and her mother Elizabeth Ford was a daughter of Montana governor Sam C. Ford.^[2] Nancy Jackson graduated from Moscow High School in 1972 and followed in her father's footsteps, becoming an engineer.^[3]

In 1977, she earned a degree in chemical engineering from Oregon State University in Corvallis and in 1980 a master's degree from the University of Washington in Seattle.^[1][3] After working as an environmental engineer, Jackson later gave up her job at Weyerhaeuser to devote herself full time to climbing.^[4]

Jackson moved to Federal Way, Washington where she became a mountain guide for Rainier Mountaineering Inc.^[4] She climbed Rainier more than 50 times during the 1980s^[5] and reached the summits of Denali in Alaska, and Aconcagua in Argentina, the highest peak in South America.^[6]

While working as a mountain guide, she collaborated with author Kurt Hanson on the 5th edition of Mountaineering: The Freedom of the Hills, one of the most significant guidebooks for mountaineers. Jackson contributed a new chapter on winter and expedition climbing which she completed before undertaking her final expedition to the Himalayas.^[7]

In 1990, Jackson joined the American Manaslu Expedition, which aimed to make the first American summit of the eight-thousander.^[3][8] On March 27, Jackson was killed in an avalanche with expedition doctor Charles Schertz and sherpa guide, Nima Wangchuk.^[9][10] The accident occurred when the climbers had reached a level of 15,510 feet (4,730 m) when a 400-foot (120 m) slab avalanche gave way, entirely covering the climbers.^[11][12] They were found buried in the snow later that day by other team members.^[6]

After her death, her hometown congregation at the First Methodist Church in Moscow founded a hand bell choir in her memory. The Nancy Jackson Bell Choir now includes 5 complete octaves of both bells and chimes and two adult, one youth, and one children's bell choir.^[13]

• Deaths on Manaslu
• Mazamas, the Portland mountaineering club that sponsored the 1990 American Manaslu Expedition
• Mountaineering: The Freedom of the Hills, 5th Edition (1992) ISBN 0-89886-309-0, 0-89886-201-9 includes chapters written by Nancy on winter and expedition climbing with Kurt Hanson^[14]