The World’s Zenith, Mount Everest has an everlasting beauty that captivates the eyes of a beholder. The name itself is proud and stays unique amongst all the other mountains. 

This peak lies in one of the captivating countries of Nepal known as the “Land Of Mountains.” The irony of this peak is that the mountain is not like humans. Means to say, it does not differentiate any class, gender, or cultural group and is common to all.

That’s why every year thousands of climbers come to this mountain for adventures and everlasting Memories. Amongst all the other courageous climbers, Everest holds an amazing tale of heroic Francys Arsentiev.

A very different story from the rest of the other. Francys Arsentiev is referred to as a “Sleeping Beauty” of the supreme summit of the world. Despite the courage shown by Francys, the story holds lots of beauty and terror on the way to the summit. 

The unexpected and unpredicted journey may not always have a way of succession. It causes defeats, traumas, and most of the time a threat to life. Francys started her journey in May 1998 with the team and her husband Sergei Arsentiev.

On her way, she not only experienced the beauty of Mount Everest but also the unstoppable storms and avalanches. Also, mental traumas and stress were unbearable. The fear of death on the top of the world was a nightmare to experience for Francys.

With every attempt to reach the base camp, despite the other people’s efforts to save her life, it was all in vain. The frostbite and hypothermia caused her death. The dead body remained unreached   amongst anyone somewhere on the Rainbow Valley

History still remembers her as the Sleeping Beauty of Mount Everest and tells everyone about her struggles and battles of her death.

Who bears the title Sleeping Beauty of Mount Everest?

Francis Arsentiev, an American mountaineer is the Sleeping Beauty of the world’s highest summit.  Born on January 18, 1958, to John Yabro and his wife Marina Garrett in Honolulu, Hawaii was ambitious since birth.

There are multiple reasons for being named Sleeping Beauty for Francis.  The courage and the thirst for victory to step on the tallest peak in 1998 without supplemental oxygen are the main reasons for knowing more about Arsentiev. 

Despite the tiredness, the detachment from her husband, and the unbearable mental stress Francis did not give up.

She was brave enough to reach the top of Mount Everest without an oxygen supplement. It’s an impossible task for a normal human being to climb any mountain as the oxygen level at the top is very low.

But Francys did it. She was committed to her goal. However, this had a price to pay. There were no loopholes for survival. She died in between mountains, nowhere to be found by her husband.

Later, when she was found she was whitish and beautiful as if she was asleep. Francys looked Iconic. The incident was tragic and painful yet unforgettable.

As a memoir, the world claimed Francys  Arsentiev as a “Sleeping Beauty of Mount Everest” as a tribute and the first American woman to climb Mount Everest without Oxygen.

Last Words of Sleeping Beauty

Scared, alone, and out of breath in between the mountains, Francis’s last words were, Don’t leave me, Don’t leave me alone, please. It shows how horrible and heartbreaking she must have felt before she went far far away from everyone.

The journey of Sergei in search of his beloved wife in between the indispensable allays of Mount Everest is a round of applause for every American and a mark of love and glory.

Cause of Demise

The higher treks and expeditions involve high risks and multiple threats. Everything has a cost to pay. Likewise, every thrilling experience we want has its own consequences that we need to tackle.

Francys, being a very fierce, bold, and passionate lady had the experience of harsh weather on the peak of Mt. Everest. The worsened climatic conditions led to Hypothermia and Frostbite. Her death was slow and painful. She gradually started losing her cognitive consciousness. 

The high altitude, diminishing oxygen amount, and blurred climatic vision were the major causes of the death of Francis Arsentiev in 1998. The Mount Everest Sleeping Beauty is a justifiable trophy for her bravery and courage to sing across the globe. 

Is it safe to climb mountains without Oxygen?

It is obvious that one cannot live without oxygen. Even the tiny living organisms need oxygen to survive. Now, imagine life without oxygen in the human body. The extreme conditions, the air depletion, and the hypoxia will tragically end the life within no time.

Many climbers have tried to reach the summit without supplemental oxygen but have perished in the mountains.  That’s why it is best to carry an oxygen cylinder with you during the ascent the descent.

On the way, though the sleeping beauty climbed the peak without supplementary oxygen, but to her bad fate she couldn’t survive. In conclusion, No, don’t even think about risking your life. If possible carry extra oxygen with you.

Your life is important, you are important.

Personal Insight

Opinions vary as everyone is indifferent to each other. As a citizen of one of the developing countries, I have seen women being objectified for multiple reasons.  There is a trait in some of the countries where women are deprived of basic human rights. 

They are deprived of education and belong to the kitchen. The cultural belief that women are born to please their husbands shows multiple threats to women’s evolvement.

The patriarchy has dark colors in some countries and women are scared to step up. Sleeping Beauty, Francys Aresntiev is an inspiration to me and every woman in every corner of the world. 

Despite every difficulty, she never gave up and built a bridge to embrace every first and last failure and kept moving. The hurdles did not startle her, with every step she was determined to be the first woman to reach the summit without oxygen from America.

And this was not the first time she had climbed mountains. I personally think, every woman should be like the sleeping beauty of Everest.

“Ambitious and Bold.”

The Narrative  of Mount Everest’s Sleeping Beauty

One of the most fascinating peaks of the World, “Mount Everest” has an amazing backstory. The historical significance of Mount Everest sings the glory of ardent mountaineers trying to reach the top of the world multiple times, sometimes even without oxygen.

George Everest named Mount Everest and was likely carried as “Sagarmatha” in Nepal by Baburam Acharya. The highest peak of the world Mount Everest has exciting tales to tell our amazing readers which most People are unaware of. 

Thrilling adventures like mountaineering have not only the excitement but sometimes things can be even worse. Even the experienced climbers fall. It has threats to life. 

Many climbers have lost their lives on the way to Mt. Everest but amongst all, there is a different interesting story which is terrible and tragic i.e. the story of Francys Arsentiev (Sleeping Beauty of Mount Everest).

A Tale of Sleeping Beauty

You might have heard lots of stories about the mountains. The beauty, serene, landscapes, the breathtaking beauty of the snow, the steep trails, and so on.

 But today, let us delve more into the hidden tales of the staircase to Heaven i.e. Mount Everest.

 Have you heard of the name Francys Arsentiev?

No, right?

One might wonder the reason behind the name Sleeping Beauty. Is it a person, the incident, or something else? Well, surfing more about this sleeping beauty today, shall we?

Francys Arsentiev was born on January 18, 1958, in Hawaii. Bold and fierce born with visions and ambitions.

Not everyone is born with the ability to cross oceans, climb walls, and dream of being beyond ordinary. Francys was fierce and was willing to take every step that would take her to the top of the world. 

Sleeping Beauty, the name itself is sound and clear. The abundance of beauties seen when one is asleep.

There were multiple failed attempts, multiple threats to life, and multiple times of giving up. But Francis never did. 

She reached the top of Mt Everest, with her team, and her husband Sergei Arsentiev on May 1998 without Oxygen .

On her return, unfortunately, she was not able to make it. Neither her dead body was found on the way.

Later, when she was found, the body looked undecayed, her face looked unharmed and beautiful as ever. She looked asleep and peaceful with her climbing gear,  combat boots, and her torn-on colorful clothes. Hypothermia  and frostbite were the cause of her death as everyone believes till now.

The first American to leave the footprints on the peak of Mount Everest without supplemental oxygen. 

Isn’t her story worth a read?

That is why, America claims Francis as the sleeping beauty and talks about her tale all over the world.

She became an American Climber to climb the summit without oxygen.

Mountain climbing is a risk in itself. I hope every climber is mentally prepared for the threat that their adventures might cost them sometimes even, their last breath which nothing is worth risking for, isn’t it?

I feel proud of the sleeping beauty, her courage, and her achievements.  I hope Everest still sings the victory and the glory of Sleeping Beauty today because if not, we do.

Tribute to the Sleeping Beauty

Barriers to Mount Everest Sleeping Beauty

Risks add adventures and thrills. It has pros and cons. The pros are of achieving the target whereas the cons are of failures. Every mountaineer is bound to step up out of their comfort with the hope of a successful climb. To reach their summit but I do not think everyone succeeds. 

The Sleeping Beauty had the same target as any other normal climber. To reach Mount Everest Safely and to return back safely.However, the ascent and descent did not look an easy go.Francis faced lots of difficulties on her way.

The dangerous routes and the critical weather conditions made her journey way more riskier than she thought. The altitude is itself a threat for climbing mountains.

Broadly speaking, the unavoidable exhaustion, lack of oxygen, the separation from her husband, and the insomnia were troublesome.Despite all that, hope made her kept moving. The hope of going back to her husband and her son.

I wonder what was the thought of The Sleeping Beauty where there were no humans, no existence of life near her. Well. I think that thought went away with her grave. When I said mountains are not like humans, they are constant and immovable.

Climates change frequently. It was constantly snowing. Likewise, freezing temperatures make the climb more riskier. They stand tall and bold. One cannot escape their fate. Though the sleeping Beauty stood tall as mountains, the mountains did not do justice to her.

It kept her. What could be more devastating than being alone in hills and mountains with no one to summon for help?  Tragic and painful.

The two normal people faced their tragic fate while descending from the mountains Franscys was exhausted and frozen when the rescuer rescued and admitted her to the hospital.

As they also said, Francis looked iconic and beautiful lying down in the snow cave. Her complex was very very white like a porcelain doll. A true figure of Sleeping Beauty.

She then was renowned as the Sleeping Beauty of Mount Everest. The Sleeping Beauty also symbolizes all the dangers and threats of Everest that the climbers inherent in high-altitude mountain climbing.

The shocking and unfortunate tragedy on May 24, 1998, left a threat to everyone who had hopes of climbing the summit.

Hoping she is at peace and safe today somewhere in a parallel universe.

How were Mount Everest’s sleeping beauty retrieved from  Everest?

Two Travelers on their way to the summit, namely  British mountaineer Ian Woodwall and South African climber Cathy O’ Dowd tend to cross paths with Francys Arsentiev. Froze and Passive Francys were unable to be rescued by the climbers. 

Francys was almost dead and lost her full consciousness at that time. However, The journey was already a threat to both of them. Somehow, they tried their best to rescue her but couldn’t.

Later, both the climbers were on their way to the base camp as their priority for them was to save their own life first. But, the guilt of not being able to help poor Francys never led them to sleep.

Later, Ian along with the team made a rescue campaign to give justice to their guilt trip.

Note-Tao Of Everest was the rescue campaign. Not only Fransis was rescued but also some other climbers were rescued namely Green Boots and David Sharp during this mission.

In 2007, Francy’s body was retrieved from the top of the mountain. A heroic justice was done at the top of the mountains by Tao of Everest is applaudable.

More talks of Sleeping beauty

The strong gusts made their expedition challenging The barriers made the trip more risky and deadly. They had to postpone their trips. 

The weather was unbearable. The visions were blurry. Everyone was on the verge of losing their mental stability. They were forced to stay at the mountain. The shortage of oxygen and the air pressure in the Everest Expedition made them short of breath.

As there was no other choice, they were bound to stay above 8000m( Danger Zone) for three days. Francy’s husband on the way to base camp led to losing their way of husband and wife. 

This detachment created a gap making it more difficult to connect each other in between the mountains. Later, Sergei was on his way to Francys with oxygen but it was too late.

The Uzbek team found Francis’  on their own way to the summit.

Hence, The pain was unbearable for Francys as she was at the end of living. 

The frostbite and hypothermia led her to quit everything. The team however did their best to help her get to the base camp but it was impossible. It involved their own risk of life.

The other tragic heart-wrenching incident that occurred on the journey was the death of Sergei (Francys’s Husband) who fell off a cliff in search of his wife Francys.

Note-Two other mountaineers discovered her frozen body and tried their best but were unable to take her with them. The climate was chaotic and the journey was frightening so they had to give her up.

The   Everest Sleeping Beauty passed away leaving us an unforgettable story to study by. 

Later, the Climbers named Francys” Mt. Everest Sleeping Beauty” because the texture of her skin had faded, and the glow was entirely white as snow which was the result of Frostbite.

The Uzbekistan Team

On May 22, 1998, the Uzbek team found the American climber unable to move, unconscious, and leaning on the rock. Unfortunately, they themselves were out of time as they needed to reach the summit.

This also created a controversial scenery whether the stuck climbers should be helped or should be left behind. The entire context looks against humanity but human beings as they are selfish by birth prioritize their life first.

The Uzbek team during their descent tried to help Francys. They hanged Francys’s harness to the fixed rope, tied her, and then left her at the same place.

They then kept moving forward. However, it was not a very thoughtful idea as she was already unconscious. She was alive but left to die. Heartbreaking it may sound but if there was a delay in the schedule of the Uzbek team they would be in danger.

Mount Everest Sleeping Beauty died without any help.

Who is my Everest sleeping beauty?

Francys Arsentiev (January 18, 1958 – May 24, 1998), is the first American Lady to climb Mount Everest without oxygen. A very passionate lady with dreams of exploring all the peaks of the world had climbed almost every mountain in her country. 

Lead by her ambitious Nature, the woman started her way to Nepal in May 1998, along with her spouse Sergei Arsentiev and her team.  Likewise, on 20th May she initiated the attempt towards the summit and rested to Camp 6.

Unfortunately, not all the first attempts succeed in the mission. The ascent stopped and then because their headlights would not switch on. They failed miserably. Critics also said that they stayed at Camp 6 much longer than they needed to which caused their tragic death in the Everest.

Francys did not stop there. Her toddling footsteps wanted to leave a print on the peak. The next day, May 21 they gave their second try from Camp 6. This time they returned after climbing a 50-100m expedition. However, after multiple failures, the team was able to reach the top of the world starting from Everest Base Camp.

They were elevated to 8,630 meters. They say hard work pays off. With her hard work and determination, she became the first woman to climb the mountain without an oxygen cylinder.

Later, the woman died in 1998 with the title of “The Mount Everest Sleeping Beauty.”

Spouse and son

With a love for mountains, both of the love birds encountered each other on the way to their trek to Mount Annapurna. Sergei Arsentiev, a Russian-born climber was the husband of our Sleeping Beauty Francys.

He had climbed the Pamins and Tien Shan Ranges followed by his passion for mountains. Precisely, he was the Russian mountaineer to climb all the peaks above 7000 meters.

Despite that, he has also tried to climb the tallest peak in the world MT. Kanchenjunga without Artificial oxygen. He was a professional climber to be called the ” Snow Leopard”  for his achievements.

Led by the same enthusiasm and passion, they wed and started their journey together as husband and wife towards Everest Base Camp. They were together in the Everest Expedition in  1998, at the summit .

To the misfortune led by heavy storms of snow and disturbed climatic conditions, both husband and wife tend to lose their way. The Sergei was the only one left to reach the base camp safely

However, his immense love for his wife made multiple attempts to rescue Francis. But, he was not fortunate this time. Despite every attempt, Sergei did not give up and kept trying. He tried to search for his wife with an oxygen tank.

Tragically, Sergei was found dead in 1999.  The Everest Expedition took his life. The couple had a son Paul Arsentiev when both of them passed away.

The Mysterious Omen that No One Knows

Two climbers are stuck in the mountains, unable to be reached by anyone. They pleaded for help. The snow trapped them unable to breathe suffocating them and collapsing in the sea of whiteness.

Help! Help, Paul Distefano woke up. In 1998, an 11- year had a nightmare. Breathing heavily, sweating down his neck the boy called his mother Francys Arsentiev just the night before his expedition.

She consoled Paul on staying calm and telling him ” I have to do this”. Not all dreams come true but this did. The nightmare was the omen of death.

The 40-year-old woman stood no chance against the World’s loftiest peak. She was not a professional climber like her husband who the world today claims as the Snow Leopard”.

Sergei and Francys tragically died during the descent making the history of climbing Mount Everest without oxygen.

Is Sleeping Beauty Still on Everest?

The campaign led by two US climbers Ian Woodall and Cathy O’Dowd,  removed the body of Sleeping Beauty Francys Arsentiev in 2007. Their ultimate mission was to retrieve the lost body of Francis and give her a proper burial.

Ian and Cathy had encountered Francis on the way to the climbing. They were unable to help her. The guilt trip of not helping her led them to the formation of the campaign “Tao The Everest”

Till then, yes the body of Sleeping Beauty stayed on the top of the mountain.

The Uzbek climbers later buried the lifeless body somewhere unidentified by her family wrapped in an American Flag. There was a proper burial given to the body in 2007. It is believed that the spot where her resting place is undisclosed by not even her son Paul nor any members of the family.

Even the climbers wouldn’t cross the paths of the burial of Sleeping Beauty. It is like the tribute and justice given out of respect to Francis.

I hope the tragic Tales of Sleeping Beauty rests in peace.

May she rest in peace.

Their last expedition

Sleeping Beauty of Everest is a terror and also a heroic movement to remember. Sergei Arsentiev and Francys Arsentiev, with the love of mountains started the ascent on May 17, 1998.

With multiple failed attempts they were able to reach the summit finally. But tragedy can take place at any time. The heavy snow storms led both of them to separation. Leaving the wife to the cave somewhere in between the mountains Sergei continued towards base camp.

Later, Francys was encountered by two US climbers. With utmost out of breath, she pleaded with the climbers to rescue her. She even pleaded for additional oxygen. Unable to move, it was extremely freezing cold and unfavorable to rescue her.

Miserable as it may sound,  were “Don’t Leave me, Please don’t leave me”. Why are you doing this to me” were her last words.

Sergei was found heading towards Francys with an oxygen supplement to save his wife. Later, it is believed that his body was found dead in 1999 during the expedition by other climbers.

The Uzbek team later rescued Francis from the same spot where she was last seen by the US climbers. They said she looked milky white and iconic like a porcelain doll. Some say she looked like a wax figure.

The frostbite and Cerebral Edema did not have any mercy on her. It caused her death. Francis died at the age of 40.

History still pleads the women with the tribute of “ Sleeping Beauty of Mount Everest”. Francis is an inspiration of heroism, and bravery, and a dreamer and has gained immense popularity all over the world which she completely deserves.

A Poor Tragedy at the top

The entire context of the death of Sleeping Beauty questions humanity.

Life is precious to everyone. Humans do their best to keep this life happy and healthy.

When a person meets another person, harness clipped to the line of a fixed rope, legs and hands dangling down, stomach uppermost, doesn’t their heart tremble and do a favor and just help them?

But instead, the Uzbekistan expedition team left the poor climber behind. This was not the first the first time. The South African Expedition Team did not save the miserable girl but instead, they chose to reach the summit .

They prioritized the name and fame they wanted after the victory. But was their win, really a win? A very valid question. Isn’t it? The moment when Cathy and Ian found the body of Francys, she was alive but unconscious.

If they wanted they could have helped her but one of their teammates Lhakpa told them to not stop their journey. Even there were no concerns from the base camp.

If they wanted, they could have saved human life but sadly they didn’t. Helpless, unconscious, and heartbroken Francis stayed on the spot for more than 48 hours at an altitude of 8650 meters without oxygen.

Rest in peace to the bravest climber.