Francys Arsentiev
| Francys Arsentiev | |
|---|---|
| Born |
Francys Yarbro January 18, 1958 Honolulu, Hawaii, United States |
| Died | May 24, 1998 (aged 40) Mount Everest |
| Cause of death | Hypothermia and/or Cerebral Edema |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | Mountaineer |
| Known for | First American woman to climb Mount Everest without help of oxygen; died on the descent. |
| Spouse(s) | Sergei Arsentiev |
| Parent(s) | John Yarbro and Marina Garrett |
Francys Arsentiev (January 18, 1958 – May 24, 1998) became the first woman from the United States to reach the summit of Mount Everest without the aid of bottled oxygen, on May 22, 1998. She then died during the descent.
Francys Yarbro Distefano-Arsentiev was born Francys Yarbro, on January 18, 1958, in Honolulu, Hawaii, to John Yarbro and his wife Marina Garrett. At age six, her father took her to the Colorado mountains. Growing up, she attended The American School in Switzerland and schools in the United States. Arsentiev attended Stephens College before ultimately graduating from the University of Louisville. She then received a Master's degree from the International School of Business Management in Phoenix. Arsentiev worked as an accountant in Telluride, Colorado during the 1980s.
In 1992, Yarbro married Sergei Arsentiev. Together, they climbed many Russian peaks, including the first ascent of Peak 5800m, which they named Peak Goodwill, as well as Denali via the West Buttress. Arsentiev became the first American woman to ski down Elbrus, and she summitted its east and west peaks. By this time, she had developed an interest in fulfilling a lifelong dream of becoming the first American woman to summit Everest without the use of supplemental oxygen.
In May 1998, Francys and Sergei Arsentiev arrived at base camp, Mount Everest. On May 17, they ascended from Advance Base Camp to the North Col, and the following day they reached 7700m (25,262 ft) as 21 other climbers reached the summit of Everest from the North. On May 19, they climbed to 8200 meters (Camp 6). Sergei reported by radio that they were in good shape and were going to start their summit attempt on May 20 at 1:00am. On May 20, after spending the night at Camp 6, they started their summit attempt but turned around at the First Step when their headlamps failed. On May 21, they again stayed at Camp 6, after ascending only 50–100 meters before turning around.
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