Sleeping Beauty of Mount Everest - Francys Arsentiev
Last Updated: January 20, 2025
TweetClimbing Mount Everest is the dream of every mountaineer, but not everyone achieves this. Today, we have a different story - the story of the Sleeping Beauty of Mount Everest, Francys Arsentiev. She is not just any ordinary climber; instead, she is the courageous climber who reached the top of Everest without any oxygen and became the first US woman to do so.
I know you are excited to know more about the Sleeping Beauty of Everest, just as I was during the research for this blog. Well, here you will find everything about Francys that you want to know.
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Who Was Francys Arsentiev?
Francys Arsentiev was born on January 18, 1958, in Honolulu, a beautiful city in Hawaii, USA. From a very young age, she loved stories about mountains and dreamed of climbing Mount Everest.
However, despite her childhood journeys, Francys initially chose a different path. She completed her master’s degree in business and began her career as an accountant in Telluride, Colorado. Although she was successful in her career, she wasn’t happy with it. Her childhood dream of being a mountaineer is still in her heart, so she decided to leave the corporate world and start living her dream.
With her new career path, Francy aimed to explore the majestic Himalayas and other mountain ranges worldwide. This decision made her one of the most respected women in climbing history.
Story of Francys Love Life
Francys life took a significant turn in 1991 when she went for the Annapurna expedition in Nepal (one of the most dangerous and scenic regions of the Himalayas). During this journey, she met Sergei Aresentiev, a talented Russian climber who is also known as the "Snowman of the Himalayas". He has spent years of time on exploring different mountains.
Their common passion for mountaineering quickly turned into a deep friendship. Over time, this friendship turned into a beautiful love story. By 1992, just one year after meeting, they married. After marriage, they climbed many challenging mountains, including Denali and Mount Elbrus.
Francys was greatly inspired by Sergei, both personally and professionally. Together, they are an unstoppable duo who have faced many of the toughest challenges during their journey. Their love for the mountains and each other was evident in every climb.
How She Became “Sleeping Beauty of Mount Everest”
As mentioned above, after exploring the multiple exciting and challenging peaks, Francys and Sengei decided to climb Mount Everest, the world's highest peak. Both flew to Nepal in May 1998. It was not just a normal climb, but rather a fulfilment of a dream for Francys.
Climbing to the top of Mount Everest at 8848 meters is challenging in itself, but Francys has something more in mind. She wants to become the first American woman to complete the US summit without any additional oxygen. Climbing above 8000 meters, known as the death zone, without oxygen is very challenging and dangerous. Most climbers don’t survive even relying on oxygen. But Francys has decided to achieve this.
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After days of hard climbing and numerous memories, Francys and Sergei finally reached the Everest summit on May 22, 1998. With this, Francys became the first American woman to complete the Everest summit without an oxygen supplement. It was time to celebrate, and they embraced it. Their joy was beyond words.
However, the real challenge is still to begin: the decent.
The Tragic Decent and Francy’s Death
While climbing Everest is a noteworthy achievement, descending from the top is riskier than ascending. The Death Zone, which begins at around 8,000 meters, presents major risks. Due to low oxygen levels, the body's capacity to function effectively decreases. Climbers generally struggle with exhaustion, severe colds, and altitude sickness.
During their descent, Francys began to feel the effects of altitude sickness and weakness. She was without oxygen, and now, without help, she was unable to return by herself. Sergei made a difficult decision to proceed to Camp 4 in search of help.
Shortly, Sergei returned with a rescue team to find his wife. Despite all the efforts, they were unable to locate Francys. For the whole night, Sergei tirelessly searched for his wife in the severe weather and cold conditions. Sadly, he died on that search without locating his wife.
But the next day, two climbers, Lan Woodall and Kath O from the Uzbek team, found Francys during their own summit attempt. They found her at 8500 m in a semi-conscious condition, where her body was almost frozen, and she was too weak to move any body parts or even to speak. Despite their best efforts, they realised it was too late.
Francys Arsentiev passed away on 24th May 1998 at the age of just 40. That place became her final resting place. She lay there peacefully facing towards the sky for a dedication which earned her the nickname “Sleeping Beauty of Everest”.
Is Sleeping Beauty still on Everest
Yes, Francys Arsentiev, also known as the sleeping beauty of Everest, still has her body on Mount Everest, but it is not in the same location where she died. Instead, it was moved to another spot in the southwestern part of Everest, away from the regular climbing route.
In 2011, after decades, a decision was made to move her somewhere else from the regular climbing route. This task was given to Lan Woodall, the same climber who last saw her alive, and his team to relocate her body. They completed this task with the utmost respect towards her.
Today, Francys's body is located somewhere in the Rainbow Valley on the southwestern slope of Mount Everest. The exact location is kept undisclosed to show respect for her dignity and her family's wishes.
Final Thought
Francys Arsentiev was a brave woman who had a lot of love for the mountains. She wrote a record by being the first woman to reach the top of Everest without any oxygen tanks. This showed how strong and determined she was.
Sadly, she ended her life during her descent, which shows how dangerous climbing Everest can be. Francys is and will be remembered as the "Sleeping Beauty of Mount Everest" for symbolising both the courage and risks of climbing the tallest mountain in the world.
FAQs
Q1. What made Francys Arsentiev climb Mount Everest without oxygen?
Francys Arsentieve was very determined and wanted to be the first American woman to climb Mount Everest without using oxygen. Her strong body helped her face the tough challenges in the death zone, which is above 8,000 meters, where the amount of oxygen is very low.
Q2. What was the altitude at which Francys Arsentiev was found before her death?
Francys was discovered by two climbers, Lan Woodal and Kath O, at a height of 8,500 meters before she passed away. She was barely awake and very weak, and her body had frozen because it was extremely cold.
Q3. Why is Francys Arsentiev's resting place kept undisclosed?
The final resting place of Francys Arsentiev's body is kept undisclosed to show respect for her dignity and her family's wishes. This ensures that her resting place is not disturbed by any future climbers and maintains her memory in peace.
Q4. Why is Francys Arsentiev called the sleeping beauty of Mount Everest?
Francys Arsentiev is referred to as the "Sleeping Beauty of Everest" due to her serene and peaceful pose, which her body found at the height of 8500m. Despite the harsh conditions and the tragic cause of death, her body appeared as if she were sleeping peacefully in the lap of the frozen mountain.
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