There are so many stories that revolve around the Everest region, whether you talk about Everest Base Camp trek or Everest Expedition. These stories are often quite fascinating and inspiring. But few of them are the ones that are quite tragic and make the readers feel a deep sense of remorse and loss. It is crucial that the readers pay attention to these stories or Mount Everest facts, especially if they’re mountaineering enthusiasts, as they tell us how excruciating the peak or the expedition on it can be. One of such tale is that of Francys Arsentiev or Everest Sleeping Beauty.

The Story Of Francys Arsentiev

Francys Arsentiev during the expedition

Francys Arsentiev who is also known among the climbers as sleeping beauty Everest was an American mountaineer. She was the first American woman to reach the top of Everest without the help of supplemental oxygen. It was during the return that she suffered because of the cruel atmospheric conditions and succumbed to her death. It is believed that the cause of her death was the lack of oxygen in the atmosphere and especially the fact that she hadn’t carried any supplemental oxygen with her during the ascent. What makes the case of sleeping beauty Everest so tragic is the fact that almost a day before her death, she also lost her husband to the mountain. Sergei Arsentiev accompanied Francys on her quest to reach the top of the peak.

Sergei and Francys’ attempt to reach the summit smoothly was severed by a lot of obstacles. One of them was the weather. Because of strong winds, they had to postpone their attempts a couple of times, which caused them to stay on the mountain for an additional number of days. One day before their final ascent, even their headlamps failed. They were ascending the peak without oxygen, which caused them to get too tired and prevented them from taking calculated decisions. It is a condition that human bodies go through in the absence of an adequate amount of oxygen. They moved slowly, and overall, the attempt was getting further dangerous with every passing hour. They finally made it to the top, but the worst was yet to come.

A picture of Francys Arsentiev before the expedition

Because of the bad weather they had spent almost 3 days at an altitude above 8000 m. While descending, both of them got separated. Sergei reached the camp whereas Francys got stuck on the way. He waited for a couple of hours at the camp, and realizing that Francys hadn’t returned, he went back looking for her with oxygen and medicines. The following day, the Uzbek team making their way to the summit found her half conscious. They could clearly notice lack of oxygen in her body. She had also suffered from frostbite. The team tried to help her but were unable to due to lack of oxygen. They did carry her body up to a certain distance. On their way back, they also encountered Sergei trying to make his way to his wife’s, Francys’ location.

The following day, the same Uzbek team found Francy’s body exactly on the same location where they had left her the day before. There was also a piece of rope and an ice axe beside her. This proved that Sergei was able to make it to her location, and probably left to get further help. British mountaineer Ian Woodall and South African climber Cathy O’Dowd also spotted her. They tried for more than an hour to help her, but they were not able to because of her condition, the weather and the location. Francys kept requesting them to not leave her but considering the fact that their own lives would be at risk, they were forced to leave her. She died at the same place where the Uzben, British and South African Climbers left her. She was clipped to a guide rope.

Sergei, on the other hand, went missing. Uzbek team were the last group of people to spot him the previous day. After two years, his body was found. It appeared as if he plunged to his death in terms of helping Francys. The reason why Francys Arsentiev is called sleeping beauty Everest is because of her appearance at the time of her death. Mount Everest sleeping beauty is a title that is based on her description as given by Ian and Cathy. The frostbite had turned her skin white and waxy. Laying there half-conscious, she appeared like a sleeping beauty waiting for someone to wake her up. Both Ian and Cathy were heartbroken to leave her like that. As per their accounts, this is an incident that has continued to haunt them ever since and even till date.

Sleeping Beauty Pictures

Picture of Francys Arsentiev

Sleeping Beauty Pictures are available widely on the internet. These pictures consist of the ones before the climb started, and the ones of her dead body lying motionless on the mountain. The images of Mount Everest sleeping beauty remind us how uncertain life can get especially when it comes to climbing on mountains like Everest. Everyone knows the bright side of the mountain. This is possibly the dark one. Mt. Everest sleeping beauty was only 40 years old when she passed away. She was a wife, a mother, and as the sources suggest, a good person.

Everest Expedition

A climber during Everest ExpeditionEverest Expedition is a journey that every climber dreams of going for one day in their life. It would not be an exaggeration to say that it is the hidden desire of every mountaineer in the world to some day reach the top of the highest mountain on the face of the earth. Everest Expedition once completed successfully becomes an unforgettable memory. It is a matter of great pride and joy to reach the summit of Mt. Everest. The alpinist feels nothing but an outburst of emotions, as he has now become someone who has tamed this great white giant.

Everest Climb is an absolutely amazing journey that requires the climbers to ascend the mountain for a duration of 47 days. Before the ascent, the mountaineer spends a significant amount of time acclimatizing, which he does by spending a considerable amount of time on the peak and in the region. Everest Base Camp trek is a crucial part of Everest Climb process, as it allows the alpinist to cover the distance from Lukla to Everest Base Camp, and more importantly, it allows the climber’s body to adjust to the atmosphere of such high altitude places.

You might also like: How Long Does It Take To Climb Mount Everest?

Everest Without Oxygen

Now, for the sake of safety, prevention, and to fulfill bodily needs, it is recommended for the climbers to carry supplement oxygen during their trip to the top of the mountain. The density of oxygen in the air gets lower the higher we go. By the time the climbers reach the Everest Base Camp, the level of oxygen gets low enough to make them suffer from altitude sickness. Imagine the site on the top of the mountain, at an altitude of 8848 m. Carrying supplement oxygen allows the climbers to breathe normally, and give their best when it comes to climbing the peak.

However, there are few individuals who can withstand the low oxygen level in the air. It could be the result of their genes or rigorous training. There have been many individuals who have reached the top of Everest without oxygen, or, to be clearer, without supplemental oxygen. These climbers are an inspiration to a generation of climbers. They have set a benchmark for climbers, and proven that it is possible to go against the rules of nature. Following their footsteps, many mountaineers from all over the world have achieved the same feat, and set great records.

Francys Arsentiev Climbing Everest without oxygen

However, keep in mind that completing Everest Expedition without supplemental oxygen isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. It’s not just about reaching the top, but also about returning safely to the Everest Base Camp. Many have lost their lives in an attempt to complete the task. And one of the most well known cases is that of Francys Arsentiev sleeping beauty. Mount Everest sleeping beauty was able to reach the summit with her husband, but due to cruel atmospheric conditions, both of them lost their lives. Francys Arsentiev sleeping beauty is tragic in climbing.history.

Everest Graveyard

A corpse at Everest Graveyard

From a distance, Everest appears like a majestic white beautiful mountain, however, when you dig deeper, you realize that the entire mountain is a vertical graveyard. Since 1977, more than 300 people have died while climbing the peak. Francys Arsentiev is one among many deaths that have occurred on the peak; it is one among many other tragic tales revolving around the summit of Everest. Another popular yet tragic tale is that of Green Boots – a mysterious body with green boots on its feet. There are only theories regarding the identity of Green Boots. Despite the fact that the body was discovered in the year 2001, even today, it can’t be said for sure whom the body belongs to. Further, there have been disasters that added numerous bodies to the Everest Graveyard. The two prominent ones occurred in the years 1996 and 2015. Altogether, 30 climbers lost their lives in these two years as a result of blizzard and avalanche.

There is a section on the peak that is considered especially dangerous, considering the weather conditions, altitude, temperature and other factors. It’s called Mount Everest Death Zone. The section lies between 8000 m and the summit of the mountain. It is believed that the maximum number of deaths that occur on the mountain revolves around Mount Everest Death Zone. The case of Francys Arsentiev also revolves around the death zone. Both she and her husband were stuck for around 4 days in the death zone, which ultimately caused their deaths.

Everest Graveyard on Mount Everest Rainbow Valley

Another section on the mountain which is not just a part of Everest Graveyard but Everest Death Zone as well as Mount Everest Rainbow Valley. The entire section is full of dead bodies, and the name comes from the colorful jackets that cover these bodies. On the Everest Graveyard, the bodies don’t decompose. Thanks to the cold weather, the microorganisms responsible for the degeneration of the body under normal circumstances don’t work here. Everest Graveyard is yet another dark side of this amazing mountain that needs to be acknowledged, especially by the prospective mountaineers and alpinists.

Whether you’re someone who’s into stories as such for fun or a prospective mountaineer, the story of Francys Arsetiev sends chills down one’s spine. It is tragic to realize the fate that Francys Arsentiev suffered; she didn’t deserve any of it. The story also goes on to give a lesson to the climbers that how important it is to be objective when it comes to climbing Everest, and the fact that one should never overestimate one’s abilities. Without a doubt, the story of Everest Sleeping Beauty haunts the entire Everest region, and not just the rescue crew.

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Mar Mon, 2020 | 0 Comments

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