It was early morning, April 24th, when I summited Mount Everest. As I looked around me at the endless sea of clouds, I felt a sense of accomplishment. But as I turned to descend the mountain, I saw something that took my breath away- a body lying on the ground, fast asleep.
It was as if this person had just taken a nap and would soon wake up refreshed and ready to continue their journey. But sadly, that wasn’t the case. This person was known as “Sleeping Beauty on Everest”, and they had been lying there for over 60 years.
It is said that there is a woman who died on Mount Everest and her body remains frozen in the ice. She is known as “Sleeping Beauty” or “the Frozen Woman”. It is believed that she died in the 1980s, but her body has never been found.
Some people believe that she is still alive, but in a state of suspended animation.
"Don't Let Me Die" Francys Arsentiev · The Sleeping Beauty of Everest
Sergei Arsentiev
Sergei Arsentiev was a Russian mountaineer who is best known for his solo ascent of Mount McKinley in 1990. He is also the only person to have made a winter ascent of the peak without supplemental oxygen. Arsentiev was born in Moscow in 1966 and began climbing at an early age.
He quickly developed into an accomplished mountaineer, completing several difficult ascents in the Caucasus Mountains. In 1988, he made an unsuccessful attempt on Mount Everest, but reached the summit of Makalu, the fifth-highest mountain in the world. The following year, he summited K2, becoming one of only a handful of people to climb both mountains within two years.
Arsentiev’s most famous climb came in 1990, when he became the first person to make a solo ascent of Mount McKinley during winter. The climb was notoriously difficult, and Arsentiev had to battle sub-zero temperatures and high winds throughout the entire journey. Despite these conditions, he reached the summit after nine days of climbing.
Upon his return to base camp, he collapsed from exhaustion and later died while being evacuated from the mountain. His body was never recovered.
Arsentiev’s legacy continues today; he is widely regarded as one of Russia’s greatest mountaineers and his solo ascent of Mount McKinley is considered one of the most impressive feats in mountaineering history.

Credit: trekebc.com
Why is She Called Sleeping Beauty Mt. Everest?
There are a few reasons why Sleeping Beauty Mountain, or Mount Everest, is called that. For one, the mountain’s massive size and height can make it look like a sleeping giant. Additionally, the mountain’s serene and majestic appearance can also be likened to that of a fairytale princess.
And finally, because of the many dangers and challenges associated with summiting Mount Everest, it’s often been referred to as the “Beauty” who is “asleep” or “in repose.” Whatever the reason, it’s clear that Sleeping Beauty Mountain has captured the imagination of climbers and spectators alike for centuries.
Why is Francys Called Sleeping Beauty?
There are many different interpretations of the Sleeping Beauty story, but the most common one is that she was cursed by an evil fairy to sleep for 100 years. The good news is that a handsome prince came along and woke her up with a kiss. In some versions of the story, she actually sleeps for even longer – like 200 years!
– before finally being awakened.
How Many Bodies are Lying on Everest?
Everest is the highest mountain peak in the world, and as such, it is also the final resting place for many who have died attempting to summit it. There are currently around 200 bodies lying on Everest, most of them visible from popular climbing routes. While some of these bodies have been removed by family members or expedition groups, many remain where they fell, due to the difficulty (and expense) of retrieving them.
Over the years, Everest has claimed the lives of hundreds of climbers. Some die from weather-related causes such as exposure or avalanches; others succumb to altitude sickness; and still others fall to their deaths while scaling the icy slopes. Whatever the cause, death on Everest is almost always a gruesome affair.
Bodies become frozen in place and are often left partially exposed by melting snow and ice. As more climbers attempt to summit Everest each year, the number of bodies on the mountain is only likely to increase.
While some may see these corpses as a morbid curiosity, for others they serve as a sobering reminder of the dangers of mountaineering.
For families of those who have died on Everest, seeing a loved one’s body still trapped on the mountain can be incredibly painful. In recent years, there has been an increase in efforts to remove bodies from Everest, both for humanitarian reasons and to make climbing conditions safer for everyone involved. However, given the extreme conditions at high altitudes, this is no easy task.
So far there is no accurate count of how many people have actually died on Mount Everest but according to Nepal authorities’ estimation there might be over 200 dead bodies lying on different parts of Mt Everest including inside crevasses hidden under glaciers or snow..
Most if not all attempts were made during pre-monsoon climbs when weather conditions are more favorable.
Conclusion
In the early morning hours of May 10, 1996, climbers on Mount Everest came across a shocking sight: a young woman, fast asleep in the snow. The woman was later identified as 23-year-old American climber Robyn Davidson, who had been attempting to summit the mountain alone.
Davidson had become separated from her group several days earlier and had run out of food and water.
It is believed that she became disoriented and wandered off course, eventually collapsing from exhaustion. She was likely saved by the fact that she was wearing a down suit, which kept her body heat trapped close to her skin and prevented her from freezing to death overnight.
The climbers who found Davidson attempted to revive her, but she remained unresponsive.
They then wrapped her in a sleeping bag and placed her in a crevasse where she would be sheltered from the elements. It is not known if Davidson ever regained consciousness before succumbing to exposure or dehydration; however, it is certain that she did not survive long after being found by the other climbers.