Sleeping Beauty Mount Everest Face: The True Story of Francys Arsentiev
The story of Francys Arsentiev is one of the most painful chapters in Mount Everest history. In May 1998, the American climber conquered Everest without any supplemental oxygen, a feat she had long been striving for. She died two days later while coming down.
Her corpse was found on the Northeast Ridge of the mountain after almost nine years. Climbers who traversed the area knew her as “Sleeping Beauty” since her body seemed to be sleeping in peace in the snow. However, this was a real woman, an experienced mountaineer, a mom and a climber who found herself in a situation where no one, even experienced climbers, was able to rescue her safely.
It’s not just a tale of death on Everest. It’s also a story of ambition, human physical limits, hard choices and the potential risk of reaching heights as high as 8,000 m (26,247 ft).
Who Was Francys Arsentiev?
Francys Distefano Arsentiev was born in Honolulu, Hawaii, in 1958. Early on, she became interested in climbing and became an accomplished mountaineer.
She had climbed a few famous peaks before she tried Everest. Her accomplishments have included Denali, Alaska and Mount Elbrus, Russia. In 1995, Francys and her husband, Russian climber Sergei Arsentiev, achieved success in climbing Denali by the West Buttress route. The couple also made several summits together in Russia.
In 1992, Francys and Sergei got married and have been regular climbing partners ever since. Everest was a long-term goal for Francys. She wanted to be the first woman in the United States to ascend Mt. Everest without the aid of supplemental oxygen. She is credited in the AAC history books with being the first American woman and the second woman in the world to reach the top of Everest using supplemental oxygen.
The Everest Expedition of 1998
The Arsentievs started their attempt from the North on Everest’s approach from Tibet. It’s a challenging climb that also involves a lot of cold, wind and altitude.
The route they had chosen was especially challenging as they were planning on making the ascent without using oxygen. At altitudes above 8000 m (26,247 ft), the human body gets much less oxygen than at sea level. This region is referred to as the “death zone” because climbers cannot stay in this region for long.
Before reaching the summit, Francys and Sergei tried several times. Their progress was slow and they spent a considerable amount of time at very high altitude. The American Alpine Club report said they climbed to about 8,203 m (26,913 ft) before they made their final push.
It was a tragic detail of the story that long exposure to extreme altitude became important.
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Francys Arsentiev Reaches the Summit
Francys Arsentiev and Sergei Arsentiev climbed to the top of Mount Everest on May 22, 1998.
The height of Everest is 8,848.86 m (29,031.69 ft) but in general descriptions, this height is usually rounded to 8,850 m (29,032 ft). It was a great feat to make it to the top without using any oxygen.
Then, Francys had achieved her dream, her aim for many years. She had been the first American woman to climb without the use of supplemental oxygen.
But it wasn’t enough to get to the top. The descent from Everest can be as serious as the ascent as a climber may be tired, dehydrated and at high altitudes when descending.
The Arsentievs were also at the top at the end of the day. This put them in the most hazardous stage of their journey at a time when their physical strength was already fatigued.
What Happened During the Descent?
One of the saddest parts of the story is the events that took place after the summit.
On the descent, Francys lost contact with Sergei. The actual sequence of events has been pieced together from reports by other climbers but there are some ambiguities.
Finally, Sergei made his way back up the mountain in search of his wife. He was carrying oxygen and medicine with him. The last sighting of him alive was by climbers who met him on his way up the mountain.
Francys was discovered by an Uzbek climbing party on the North Ridge. She was in very poor condition, with severe frostbite and the effects of extended exposure to high altitude.
The climbers tried to help her. They were able to give her oxygen and tried to move her down but this was very hard. They were short of breath and had run out of energy and they didn’t want to risk taking her down the mountain.
After a while, they just had to go down the hill.
Francys was still alive.
The Final Rescue Attempt
South African climbers, Ian Woodall and Cathy O’Dowd, met Francys on May 24, 1998, on their own summit attempt.
Cathy O’Dowd later wrote about it in her 1998 book on the Everest expedition. At about 8600 m (28215 ft), she described the spot where she found Francys, the First Step. Francys’ wasn’t conscious and couldn’t walk around by herself.
Woodall and O’Dowd tried to reach the top but were unsuccessful and took over an hour trying to assist her.
This is crucial as some later accounts suggest that climbers paid no mind to Francys’. The only surviving account from the expedition indicates that Woodall and O’Dowd did stop and attempted to help her. The issue was this: They were working in a situation where a rescue effort could quickly become a death sentence for the rescuers, victims and rescuers’ families.
Carrying a person is extremely challenging at an altitude of approximately 8600m (28215ft). Francys was not able to walk unaided and the rescuers were not very strong or well-equipped. Also, the weather and cold added to the danger.
Finally, Woodall, O’Dowd and their Sherpa partner were forced to come down.
Francys reached the top and passed away.
Why Was She Called “Sleeping Beauty”?
Francys’ nickname “Sleeping Beauty” was not a description of her while alive. It was because of her body after she died.
Her body was left at the climbing route that was on the northeast ridge of Everest. She was lying on her side and the ice-like pose gave the impression that she was sleeping.
She could be seen by climbers who went through the area for years.
This was an uncomfortable situation. Once a person determined and purposeful to climb to the summit of Everest, she had become a landmark of the mountain. Her presence was a reminder of what it is like to recover bodies from the high parts of Everest.
Her nickname came to be synonymous with her but it is essential to note that Francys was so much more than the body climbers saw on the mountain.
A daughter, wife, mother and accomplished climber, she had achieved an extraordinary mountaineering feat before her passing.
What Happened to Sergei Arsentiev?
Francys wasn’t the only one to lose her life on Everest.
After Sergei went back up the mountain to search for his wife, he disappeared.
His body was not immediately found. There had been a long period of uncertainty regarding his fate.
Climber Jake Norton found Sergei’s body lower on the North Face of Everest in 1999. There was evidence that he had fallen. He is supposed to have died while trying to rejoin or to descend to where he was looking for Francys.
So the tragedy took the lives of both members of the climbing team.
How Long Did Francys’ Body Remain on Everest?
Francys’ body remained visible from the climbing route for almost nine years.
Climbers from the north side of the summit may have come upon her remains from 1998 to 2007. Recovering any body at such a height is very hazardous and time-consuming.
Dignity was also an issue here. Was it acceptable for a climber’s remains to remain exposed beside a major climbing route? Should another expedition risk its own lives to move the body?
There was no easy solution.
After a while, Ian Woodall opted to head back to Everest.
The 2007 “Tao of Everest” Expedition
In 2007, Ian Woodall returned to Everest with a party called the “Tao of Everest” nine years after Francys’ death.
This was to remove Francys from the bulk of the climbing route and to provide her with a more private resting spot.
They were found by Woodall and Phuri Sherpa on May 23, 2007. They shifted the body away from the path, so that subsequent climbers would not be forced to walk by directly. He also claims that she was buried in an American flag, which was removed from view.
The mission was not successful in carrying Francys’ remains all the way to Base Camp. In its place, her body was taken to a less prominent place on the mountain.
The actual final resting place for her has not been made public.
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Francys Arsentiev Story at a Glance
| Event | Date | Elevation |
| Francys and Sergei begin their Everest summit campaign | May 1998 | Above 7,000 m (22,966 ft) |
| Reach high camp area. | May 19, 1998 | About 8,203 m (26,913 ft) |
| Reach Everest summit without supplemental oxygen. | May 22, 1998 | 8,849 m (29,032 ft) |
| Francys is found by climbers during descent | May 23–24, 1998 | About 8,600 m (28,215 ft) |
| Francys dies on Everest. | May 24, 1998 | About 8,600 m (28,215 ft) |
| Sergei’s body is discovered | 1999 | Lower on the North Face |
| Francys’ body is moved away from the route | May 23, 2007 | North side of Everest |
The dates and elevations above have been compiled from the expedition and mountaineering accounts and are mainly indicative. The final landing site and a few landing scene details are still unknown.
Is Sleeping Beauty Still on Mount Everest?
The body of Francys Arsentiev has never been recovered from Everest.
The crucial modification was in 2007, when Woodall altered the course of her body from the primary climbing pass. This means that climbers won’t find her in the same exposed position as the “Sleeping Beauty” anymore.
She has not yet been identified for burial but this remains confidential, keeping her remains with dignity.
What Does Her Story Tell Us About Everest?
The story of Sleeping Beauty on the Mount Everest Face is very often recounted as a shocking incident of climbers leaving a corpse near the top of the mountain. However, that doesn’t capture the most important part.
When a few climbers first encountered Francys, she was still alive. Attempts were made to assist her. The Uzbek team tried to carry her and then they were halted by Ian Woodall and Cathy O’Dowd as they tried to join the summit attempt.
Not only did they not have compassion but it was a problem.
When operating at high altitudes, a rescue may involve carrying or supporting another climber in addition to being exhausted, cold and deprived of oxygen. With elevations over 8000m (26247ft), the margin of error is very small.
She is a story, then, of the limitations of high-altitude mountaineering. Sometimes a climber may be in desperate need of help, while the people who try to help have very limited options.
The Legacy of Francys Arsentiev
The Sleeping Beauty Everest story continues to be of interest because it has an amazing feat combined with a sad ending.
Francys made it to the top without oxygen but she didn’t make it back down. Her accomplishment was followed by another landmark in 2016 when Melissa Arnot became the first American woman to climb Mount Everest without the aid of supplemental oxygen and survived the trip back down.
It does make a distinction. Francys’ climb to the top of that mountain will forever be a milestone in mountaineering history and her death is a testament to the fact that the climb is not the end of the journey.
Crossing the top of the mountain doesn’t make it safer. Oftentimes, climbers are in a worse state on the descent as they are tired, have been in extreme conditions for hours and are more susceptible to getting hurt.
Final Thoughts
Francys Arsentiev should not only be remembered because of the fact that her frozen body was found and known as “Sleeping Beauty.”
She was once an intrepid climber who was training for years to climb Everest prior to the name. She finally got to the top without supplemental oxygen on May 22, 1998. She died about 8,600 m (28,215 ft) two days later while descending.
Her husband, Sergei, was also killed attempting to return to the mountain to find her.
In 2007, Ian Woodall went back to the mountain and removed Francys’ remains from the main track. That act introduced some privacy to a person whose last years on Everest had been viewed by countless climbers.
Sleeping Beauty of Mount Everest is therefore not a fairy tale but actually a true story. A true-to-life narrative of a woman, her hard-fought dream, her fall from grace and the brutal constraints of life at high altitudes.
Francys Arsentiev’s name is forever associated with Everest but it is more of a climber who did something that very few people in the world have done.
