Francys Arsentiev

Francys Arsentiev (January 18, 1958 – May 24, 1998) was the first American woman to reach the summit of Mount Everest without using bottled oxygen, on May 22, 1998. She and her husband, Sergei Arsentiev, both died during the descent. Her body was visible to climbers until 2007, when it was moved from view.

Climbing In 1992, Francys married Russian climber Sergei Arsentiev. She had a son, Paul Distefano, from a previous relationship. The Arsentievs climbed many peaks, including the first ascent of Peak 5800m in Russia, which they named Peak Goodwill, as well as Denali via the West Buttress. Arsentiev became the first U.S. woman to ski down Elbrus, and she summited its east and west peaks. By this time, she had developed an interest in becoming the first U.S. woman to summit Everest without the use of supplemental oxygen. Her son later said, "I don't know why she decided she had to do it without oxygen, but I think she felt like she needed to prove something."

"The Tao of Everest"

There are many dead bodies on Everest, left there because it is extremely difficult and hazardous to retrieve them and carry them down.

Woodall initiated and led an expedition in 2007, "The Tao of Everest", with the purpose of returning to the mountain to bury the bodies of Francys Arsentiev and a then unidentified climber ("Green Boots"), both of whom were plainly visible from the nearby climbing route. Francys Arsentiev's body was visible to climbers for nine years, from her death, May 24, 1998, to May 23, 2007. On May 23, 2007, Woodall was able to locate Arsentiev's body, and after a brief ritual moved her to a lower, out of view, location on the face. In 2014, "Green Boots" was moved to a less conspicuous location by a Chinese team.