Everest Sleeping Beauty

About Everest Sleeping Beauty

The “Everest Sleeping Beauty” is a popular term in the Everest Region. There are many tales and stories regarding Mount Everest and the daring climbers attempting to summit the world’s tallest peak. You’ve probably heard about the term “Everest Sleeping Beauty”, and have questions regarding it, and if you haven’t heard about the term, but you’re fascinated by what it is, you’ve come to the right place.

When taking on the daring adventure of climbing the world’s tallest mountain, Mt. Everest, not all make it back alive. There have been many incredibly emotional stories and adventures regarding the climbers of Mount Everest all over the world. The “Everest Sleeping Beauty” is one of those emotional stories of an American climber named Francys Arsentiev.  Francys Arsentiev was attempting to become the first American woman to summit Mount Everest without any supplemental oxygen in the year 1998, unfortunately, she did not make it back alive and tragically passed away on her return.

This blog will cover all the stories regarding “Everest Sleeping Beauty”, who is Francys Arsentiev, and what led her to be nicknamed Mt. Everest Sleeping Beauty, her daring journey, and all the bodies on Everest and their sacrifices that go unnoticed. Attempting to summit Mt. Everest is not an easy task, and many people lose their lives in their attempts. In this blog, we cover the story of Francys Arsentiev, the “Everest Sleeping Beauty”.

Who is Francys Arsentiev?

Francys Yarbro Distefano Arsentiev, born on January 18, 1968, in Hawaii USA, became the first woman from the United States to reach the summit of Mount Everest, without using bottled oxygen on May 22, 1998, but passed away during the descent from the summit. In her early life, she worked as an accountant but had a deep love and passion for mountains and climbing. Francys attended the University of Louisville and later graduated from Colorado State University for her education.

Francys developed her passion for climbing from an early age. Over many years, she summited several tall peaks, and gained her experience for climbing. Later she met Sergei Arsentiev. Sergei Arsentiev was a Russian mountaineer, and the two fell in love due to their shared interest in climbing and mountains.

Francys Arsentiev had a son named Paul Distefano from a previous relationship. In 1992, Francis married Sergei Arsentiev, and together, they climbed several Russian peaks and planned expeditions together. During these expeditions and climbs, later she discovered her interest in becoming the first American woman to summit Mount Everest without the use of supplemental oxygen.

Francys Arsentiev earned her title for becoming the first U.S. woman to summit Mt. Everest without the use of any supplemental oxygen. Unfortunately, her tragic story ends on her descent from the journey. She tragically passed away on May 24, 1998, while descending from the summit of Everest. Due to the lack of oxygen, and exhaustion Francys and Sergei’s descent was slow, and due to the harsh weather, they got separated on the way back, resulting in the tragic incident.

Story of Everest Sleeping Beauty

The story of “Everest Sleeping Beauty” is a mix of tragedy, loss, love, hope, and determination. Several factors are playing their parts in successfully climbing Mount Everest. One needs to be prepared in the toughest way possible both physically and mentally. And you must have luck on your side, which Francys Arsentiev, the “Everest Sleeping Beauty” did not.

The story reflects on the dangers of nature and how brutal it can get, the importance of oxygen, and listening to your body’s limitations. The story of Everest Sleeping Beauty is one of the most emotional tragedies struck in the journey of summiting Mount Everest. One to remember and learn from.

Reaching the Summit

In 1998, Francys set out to make history, aiming to become the first American woman to summit Everest without supplemental oxygen along with her husband Sergei. Francys and Sergei’s journey began after arriving at the Everest Base Camp in March 1998. On May 17, they ascended from the Advance Base Camp to the North Col. Slowly ascending on higher altitudes, they reached Camp 6 (8,203 m) on May 19, communicating that they were in good shape and planning for the summit attempt the following day.

On May 20, Francys and Sergei started their summit attempt but turned around when their headlamps failed. The next day, they stayed again at Camp 6, after only ascending 50-100 meters and returning due to the bad weather. After these failed attempts, they finally went on to summit Everest on May 22, making Francys Arsentiev the first American woman to summit Everest without any oxygen supplementation.

The Descent and the Tragedy of the Everest Sleeping Beauty

Unfortunately, due to the absence of oxygen supplementation at such a high altitude, their climb was quite slow, and they summited Everest dangerously late in the day. While on their way back, due to the extreme weather and physical exhaustion, the two became separated. Sergei went on to reach the camp, only to realize his wife hadn’t made it.

He then returned in search of his wife and sadly passed away in the search process. His body was found a year later. Sergei had apparently died from a fall attempting to rescue his wife.

Francys was later discovered by other climbers, but due to the freezing temperatures, the cold had gotten her, and she was unable to move or respond on her own. Unfortunately due to the harsh weather, the climbers had to leave her behind for their own safety. Francys passed away lying on her side, still clipped onto the guide rope. She got her nickname the “Everest Sleeping Beauty” due to the way her body was positioned when climbers discovered her, lying peacefully in the snow as if she were asleep.

The Sleeping Beauty Everest face had turned pale due to extreme frostbite and cold exposure. The frost-covered face looked calm and peaceful as if she were simply just asleep in the snow.

Francys Arsentiev’s body was visible from the nearby climbing route and remained there for nearly a decade, earning her the nickname due to her lying (sleeping-like) appearance and her tragic fate. Finally after 9 years, in 2007, a group of climbers moved her body out of sight to give her a more noble rest.

Cause of Death of Sleeping Beauty

The tragic death of the “Everest Sleeping Beauty” is one to remember. The story not only tells us the dangers of high-altitude climbing without oxygen but also the bravery, resilience, and willingness to keep going despite difficult circumstances. Francys Arsentiev was a brave woman who dared to take on the almost impossible challenge of summiting the world’s tallest mountain without any supplemental oxygen. Despite many challenges during the climb, she achieved the impossible and made history.

But sadly, making history came with a big price to pay for the Arsentiev family. The tragic death of Francys Arsentiev and her spouse Sergei Arsentiev could have been avoided by following necessary precautions and awareness. Their journey to the summit was quite late due to the lack of oxygen, causing the couple to climb at a slow pace due to exhaustion. This led them to reach the summit dangerously late in the day.

Without the proper supply of oxygen in the body during such risky climbs, your body starts to lose control, causing exhaustion and difficulty in breathing. Their planned summit went off-course due to their body’s limitations.

The team of climbers who tried to recover Francys after her separation from Sergei during the harsh weather ultimately gave up on the rescue mission. Francys was found in a condition where she was not able to move her body at all and had gotten frostbite. Due to the extreme weather conditions, and high altitude, the climbers were forced to leave her there and look at their own safety. This was the ultimate tragedy that had struck Francys the Everest Sleeping Beauty.

The Everest Sleeping Beauty photos on the internet suggest the calming nature of Francys Arsentiev. Sleeping Beauty Everest’s body and face give people around the world even more curiosity about the tragic event that struck in 1998.

Cause of the Tragedy

The weather at such a high altitude can be quite unforgiving and can change dramatically over the course of minutes. This was a leading cause for the tragic fate of the Everest Sleeping Beauty. The story also makes us aware of how one cannot fight against the odds of nature. The tragic death of the sleeping beauty of Everest is a grave reminder of the dangers of the mountains and its extreme weather conditions for all the climbers seeking to summit Everest or other high-altitude mountains.

Overall, her leading causes for her tragic demise were the sum of attempting to summit the world’s tallest peak without any supplemental oxygen, her late summit to Everest due to exhaustion, resulting in her and her husband’s dangerously late descent, her separation from her husband due to the harsh weather in the dark, which ultimately led her to become helpless in such extreme cold and no oxygen.

Personally, in my opinion, what led Everest Sleeping Beauty to her tragic fate was her and her husband’s underestimation of the harshness of such high altitude climb without any supplemental oxygen, and how quickly the weather can change over such high altitudes. Despite the odds, Francys and her husband showed courage and determination to summit the world’s tallest mountain, Mt. Everest, very late in the day and achieved their goals, however, they were not prepared enough for the dangers that struck them and claimed their lives.

Last Words of Everest Sleeping Beauty

Francys Arsentiev the “Sleeping Beauty of Everest”, was found alive but in critical condition by climbers Cathy O’Dowd, Ian Woodall, and others on the day after she and her husband got separated. When they had found Francys, she was severely frostbitten, and barely responsive. Francys Arsentiev face had swollen due to the extreme cold. Because of the lack of oxygen, she was suffering from Hypoxia (oxygen deprivation) and was unable to move on her own.

Due to the extreme altitude and the harsh weather at the “Death Zone” (above 8,600 m), rescuing Francys was an impossible task without risking their own lives.

Francys Arsentiev the Everest Sleeping Beauty’s last words recorded were “Don’t leave me”. Francys reportedly kept murmuring these words “Don’t leave me, Don’t leave me alone” repeatedly, which shows how afraid and lonely she was during her final moments and how sad of a tragedy it was to leave her behind all alone in the cold.

The Uzbekistan Team

On the morning of May 23, 1998, a group of Uzbek climbers discovered Francys Arsentiev lying in the cold, barely conscious on their way down from the summit. After seeing Francys’s condition, the Uzbekistan team tried helping her and carry her down, but were unable to do so due to their exhaustion from their summit and high altitude. The Uzbek climbers gave oxygen and tried to help Francys during her critical condition but a long rescue operation is almost impossible in the death zone (above 8,600 meters).

Even a helicopter rescue was impossible at such a high altitude. The Uzbekistan team was one of the last groups to see the Everest Sleeping Beauty alive. The Uzbek climbers were forced to leave Francys behind due to their own exhaustion and health risks at the extreme altitude.

The Tao of Everest

After the failed rescue attempt of the Uzbekistan team, where the Uzbek climbers were forced to leave Francys behind, later that day, Ian Woodall, Cathy O’Dowd and their group also found Francys Arsentiev during their Everest summit attempt. Francys was half-conscious and unable to move on her own due to the long exposure to extreme cold. Ian and his climbing partner Cathy called off their own attempt to reach the summit in order to rescue Francys and tried to help her for more than an hour. However due to the extreme weather in the death zone, her physical condition, and the location, they were also unable to rescue the Everest Sleeping Beauty.

After more than an hour of rescue attempts, Ian and his partner Cathy were forced to abandon Francys, who kept repeating the words “Don’t leave me”, adding to the sad tragedy of leaving someone behind, even with the best intentions of saving them due to the harsh reality of Mount Everest. Ian and Cathy’s encounter adds to the tragic story of how the Everest Sleeping Beauty survived for almost two days in the Death Zone, before finally giving up.

The Tao of Everest is an expedition initiated and led by Ian Woodall to honor and bury the bodies of Francys Arsentiev and Green Boots, who had passed away during the tragic 1996 Mount Everest Disaster. Due to the extreme weather conditions at such a high altitude, and the location of the body, Francys Arsentiev’s the Everest Sleeping Beauty body remained at Everest for nine years, hence, earning her the nickname.

Finally, on May 23, 2007, the Tao of Everest expedition was successful in recovering Francys’s body, and after a brief ceremony, honored the Everest Sleeping Beauty’s body and gave her a proper rest by joining others in their mountain grave.

The Tao of Everest is a philosophical concept about climbing Mount Everest or any other extreme mountaineering journey. It draws inspiration from Chinese philosophy. “Tao” translates to “the way”, emphasizing balance and natural flow to life. The Tao of Everest follows some key principles and spreads messages such as:

• Embracing the journey and not just the summit
• Finding a balance between ambition and caution
• Living in the present moment
• Dealing with life and death
• Making peace with nature and accepting its powers

Who is Sleeping Beauty on Everest?

Francys Arsentiev, the first American woman to summit Mount Everest without any supplemental oxygen but later tragically dying on her descent, holds the nickname “Sleeping Beauty on Everest”. She is remembered as the Sleeping Beauty on Everest because of her peaceful, lying still, and frozen feature position for almost a decade in Everest.

Francys Arsentiev had grown a love for mountaineering at an early age. She had successfully summited several other peaks such as Denali (Alaska) and Elbrus (Russia). Francys along with her husband were both fond of the love for mountains and went on several mountain expeditions together.

How did Sleeping Beauty Die on Mount Everest?

The Everest Sleeping Beauty was left stranded all alone near 8,600 meters (above the death zone), without any oxygen. Francys and Sergei had gotten separated during their descent from the summit due to the extreme weather and darkness. This caused the two to get separated. Francys was later found alive but in critical condition by other climbers, but unfortunately, none could help her in her condition.

Eventually, she died of lack of oxygen and severe frostbite. Her peaceful sleeping-like body remained visible on Everest for almost a decade, earning her the “Everest Sleeping Beauty” nickname.

Difficulties to Everest Sleeping Beauty

Francys Arsentiev “Everest Sleeping Beauty”, faced many challenges and difficulties during her summit attempt to Everest. Summiting Everest without any supplemental oxygen is not an easy task, which Francys managed to complete. But, due to the summiting in the dangerously late part of the day, her problems started to arise drastically.

On her descent, the weather was already extremely deteriorated, and because of darkness, and the harsh weather Francys and her husband, Sergei got separated, leading them to their tragedies. With no oxygen in such high altitudes (above 8,600 meters), serving alone is next to impossible, but, Francys managed to do so for almost two days, suffering from Hypoxia and severe frostbite. Due to the extreme location and weather conditions, fellow climbers were unable to rescue Francys despite many efforts, resulting in the tragedy.

Her separation from her husband, during the extreme cold and darkness was the leading difficulty for the Everest Sleeping Beauty. During her final moments, she was barely responsive and unable to move on her own, feeling helpless.

Is Sleeping Beauty Still on Everest?

No. The Everest Sleeping Beauty’s body was recovered in 2007 by a rescue campaign led by Ian Woodall and his partner Cathy O’Dowd. Ian and Cathy found Francys on their way to the summit on May 23, 1998, in a critical condition, barely conscious. After sacrificing their summit attempt in order to rescue Francys and bring her down along with them, trying for more than an hour, Ian and Cathy were forced to leave her to her demise for their safety due to the high altitude and dangers of the Death Zone.

The Everest Sleeping Beauty had been lying on Everest for more than 9 years in a peaceful position, as if asleep, hence earning Francys Arsentiev the nickname. But finally, after nearly a decade, the Tao of Everest expedition, led by Ian Woodall recovered Francys’s body in 2007 and gave a proper burial for a much-deserved rest.

How was Everest Sleeping Beauty Retrieved from Everest?

The Everest Sleeping Beauty was retrieved from Everest by an expedition group led by the British climber Ian Woodall, who had seen Francys alive during their summit but was unable to rescue her due to the extreme conditions. He felt a deep sense of responsibility and wanted to give Francys a more dignified resting place. Ian and his team ascended to where the Everest Sleeping Beauty’s body lay, just below the second step on the Nort Face route.

The team wrapped Francys Arsentiev’s body in an American flag and moved her off the main climbing route, to give her a proper rest after nearly a decade long. The recovery expedition was done out of respect, ensuring Francys Arsentiev would no longer be visible as a tragic sight for climbers and a proper burial for the Everest Sleeping Beauty.

Is it Safe to Climb Mountains Without Oxygen?

One thing we can all learn from the tragic story of Francys Arsentiev is the dangers of climbing mountains without oxygen. Even with years of climbing experience, and preparations, Francys Arsentiev and her husband met their tragic fate because they underestimated the brutal power of nature and how unforgiving it can be.

Francys successfully achieved her goal of becoming the first American woman to summit Mount Everest without any supplemental oxygen but in that process, she underestimated how quickly the weather can change in such high altitudes and the dangers of lack of oxygen.

It is never safe to climb mountains without oxygen. Even with years of training and past mountain climbing experience, you can still face the same fate as Francys Arsentiev and her husband. The tragic story of the Everest Sleeping Beauty will always be a reminder of how one cannot force past the extremities of nature. Climbers should always carry supplemental oxygen in case of any emergencies as rescue operations are almost impossible in such high altitudes.

Where there is risk there is a reward, and had Francys carried oxygen with her during her summit attempt, she could have lived for another day. But, that wouldn’t have gotten her the title of the Everest Sleeping Beauty and earned her title for becoming the first US woman to summit Everest with no oxygen bottles.

Climbers seeking to summit Everest or any other tall mountains must prepare extremely both physically and mentally for such adventures. It is critical for climbers to carry oxygen supplements on such high-altitude mountain climbing for their safety or risk becoming a victim.

Conclusion

To conclude the overall blog, this tragic story of Everest Sleeping Beauty not only reflects upon the power of love and bond which Francys and her husband shared altogether but also the sacrifice involved and the dangers of Everest. The bravery of Francys’s husband Sergei Arsnetiev often goes unnoticed in the tragic tale of Everest Sleeping Beauty. Sergei went on to look after his wife Francys in the extreme weather, ignoring all the dangers leading him to his tragic fate.

Francys Arsentiev will forever be known as the Everest Sleeping Beauty, and the first American woman to summit Everest without any supplemental oxygen. Despite her tragic fate, her bravery and courage will forever shine throughout the world and encourage people to take on the impossible. Lessons can be learned from her story and these lessons will be a guiding light for climbers to follow necessary precautions and listen to one’s body limitations.

The story also teaches us how not to underestimate the power of nature and the weather conditions at high altitudes.

You can find tons of Everest Sleeping Beauty pictures out on the internet, where she lies in an almost calming manner with a peaceful face. Despite the extreme condition she was in, Francys did not let her calm nature slip out which showed the world of her serene nature even on her death. With tons of Everest dead bodies and their sacrifices that go unnoticed, the tale of Everest Sleeping Beauty reminds us about those Everest bodies and their own unique stories and tragedies that befell them. The story of the Everest Sleeping Beauty is one to cherish and learn from forever.