The bodies, which include those of an Indian and a female climber, are yet to be formally identified, he said.

"There's still some debate about how they're going to get the remains down," Mr Goldsack said on Monday. "I just have to wait for the authorities to do their thing."

He said he was still in shock over what had happened to his wife.

"It's been a very, very harsh month."

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Ms McCance was reported missing on May 31 along with three Britons, two Americans, and an Indian liaison officer, after the group, led by veteran British team leader Martin Moran, failed to return to their base camp near Nanda Devi.

Indian authorities had previously identified the others as John McLaren, Rupert Whewell and Richard Payne from Britain, Anthony Sudekum and Ronald Beimel from the United States, and liaison officer Chetan Pandey from the Indian Mountaineering Foundation.

The climbers were trying to scale an unnamed, previously unclimbed 6477-metre peak near Nanda Devi when their route was hit by a "sizeable avalanche", the company that organised the expedition, Moran Mountain, has said. The team was last heard from on May 25.

Five bodies, believed to be from the missing team, were seen by air nearly two weeks ago.

Ms McCance was an experienced and dedicated climber who "wasn't trying to thrill-seek", Mr Goldsack said.

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"To her, being in the mountains fed her soul," he said. "It was important for her to spend time in wild places."

The search will continue for the last body, Pithoragrah district's top civil servant Vijay Kumar Jogdande said.

H.S. Chauhan, president of the Indian Mountaineering Foundation, said authorities would decide on an air evacuation of the bodies depending on weather conditions. They are at more than 5000 metres, Pandey said. Ground expeditions were also in the area for the task.

Moran's Scotland-based company said contact with the team was lost on May 26 following an avalanche. Officials said they were all presumed dead.

It has been one of the deadliest climbing seasons in the Himalayas for several years.

More than 20 people have been killed in the mountains, including at least 11 on Mount Everest,this year due to poor weather conditions, inexperienced climbers and overcrowding.

Nanda Devi, at 7816 metres, and its sister mountain, Nanda Devi East, are among the world's most challenging peaks and only a handful of people have climbed them.

With AP, Reuters