A MELBOURNE woman who died climbing Mt Everest was agonisingly close to the mountain's summit when she was forced back by altitude sickness.
Experienced climber Dr Maria "Marisa" Strydom (pictured), 34, died on the mountain on Saturday as she and her personal Sherpa tried to descend to safety. 
Her husband, veterinarian Dr Rob Gropel, 36, was also on the trek and also suffered high altitude sickness.
South African born Dr Strydom's devastated older sister, Aletta Newman, of Brisbane, said she only learnt of Marisa's death by googling for news of Everest before going to bed on Saturday night.
"I found this article from the Himalayan Times naming her as having deceased," she said. "I was shaking like a leaf because no one had told us anything, that's how we found out. We just couldn't believe it. We are just in absolute disbelief and shock." Dr Strydom, a lecturer at Monash University's Banking and Finance Department, had previously climbed Denali in Alaska, Aconcagua in Argentina, and Kilimanjaro in Africa.
She and Dr Gropel aimed to be the first vegans to reach the summit of Everest. Mrs Newman said the family had full confidence in her abilities. "It was just so unexpected. We are so absolutely devastated," she said. The family has been told an attempt may be made to bring Dr Strydom's body down the mountain, but nothing was certain.
"That's really hard for us. We don't want her to be there," Mrs Newman said. It comes soon after Toowoomba teenager Alyssa Azar became the youngest Australian to conquer the world's highest mountain.The 19-year-old has made three attempts. She was turned back the first time by an icefall and the second by the massive 2015 earthquake that devastated Nepal and killed about 3300 people.