A San Antonio family is mourning the loss of 39-year-old Mallory Geis, an avid traveler and climber who was killed in an avalanche on Broad Peak in northern Pakistan.

Geis' body was recovered Friday, days after an avalanche struck the mountain and cut off communication between an expedition team and its base camp.

According to The Associated Press, 10 climbers were initially reported missing after the avalanche. By Friday, three bodies — including Geis' — had been recovered, while search efforts for the remaining climbers were expected to resume Saturday as weather conditions allowed.

George Geis, Mallory's father, said the family is devastated by the loss of his daughter, whom he described as intelligent and determined.

"She was a very positive person, and very smart, and could do almost anything she wanted to do," George Geis said.

Mallory Geis worked alongside her father in the family's San Antonio real estate business. Her father said she had long enjoyed traveling and hiking and had asked her parents for time away from work to make the trip to Pakistan.

"She had been to this place where she had the accident before," George Geis said. "She asked Mom and I if she could take off a couple of weeks and go, and we agreed."

According to the expedition's guiding company, Geis was attempting her first climb of an 8,000-meter peak in Pakistan. Broad Peak, which rises more than 26,000 feet (8,000 meters), is one of the world's 14 mountains exceeding 8,000 meters and is considered among the most challenging climbs in the Karakoram range.

The avalanche struck Thursday, causing the climbing team to lose contact with its base camp. George Geis said his daughter had pursued mountaineering because it was something she loved.

"That's what she wanted to do was go hike," he said. "She ended up over there hiking, and a boulder came down and hit her and killed her."

Search crews later spotted four bodies on the mountain despite harsh weather. Three, including Geis, were recovered Friday.

George Geis said the family's focus has now shifted to bringing his daughter home to San Antonio.

"Well, it's tough. It's tough," he said. "Our main objective now is to get her back here."

Authorities have not released additional details about the remaining missing climbers as recovery efforts continue.