Rescuers in Nepal retrieve the bodies of an American climber and her guide

The climbers’ bodies were brought to Kathmandu, Nepal’s capital, on Saturday, after being retrieved last week, according to Elite Exped, an expedition company.

A team of nine climbers led by Nirmal Purja, popularly known as Nimsdai, brought back the bodies in a rescue mission that lasted three days and nights. Of the rescuers involved in the mission, three fell ill; two had to be put on oxygen by the time they reached the beginning of the glacier; and one was sent on another mission, to Mount Everest.

Nimsdai, who has summited peaks higher than 8,000 meters 45 times — more than anyone in history — said the retrieval mission was one of the most challenging tasks he had ever undertaken.

Another American woman, Gina Marie Rzucidlo, and her guide, Tenjen Lama, were on Mount Shishapangma at the same time as Gutu and Sherpa, trying to best Gutu to achieve the record. Pushing herself to reach the summit before her competitor, Rzucidlo and Lama were caught in a separate avalanche and buried. Both died.

Lama, a renowned mountain guide working with a Norwegian climber, Kristin Harila, had set a world record, for having climbed the 14 tallest peaks in 92 days, faster than anyone.

Seven Summit Treks, another expedition company, arranged for Lama to work with Rzucidlo.

An effort to bring back the bodies of Rzucidlo and Lama this spring was postponed after China denied the rescuers permission to enter Tibet. The two bodies remain on the mountain.