The hand-drawn map Fran sent from basecamp to her 10-year-old son.
From varied accounts it appears they descended to their cache as planned, but were forced to bivouac at least 2 more nights high on the mountain without a tent. After the first night, Sergei returned to Camp 6 to find that Fran had not arrived, and headed back up the mountain to search for her, never to be seen again. Sergei’s rope and ice axe were found near Fran’s body, suggesting he had attempted to move her by himself, and that they had spent their last living moments together. After failing in a noble rescue attempt Sergei lost himself to the mountain as well. TASIS friends remember Fran as beautiful, athletic, and gifted. To anyone who knew her, it is not a surprise that she chose a life filled with adventure and challenge. And, in spite of the Romeo-and-Juliet ending to Fran’s story, her life was well-lived, following her passion to conquer those peaks whose name in Sanskrit means ‘The Abode of Snow’, the abode that became her final resting place.
10 - TASIS TODAY
Dear Francis’ parents! I am one of mountaineer s from Uzbekistan, wh o were at Everest moun My friends and I were tain during May 1998. involuntary eyewitnesse s of Francis accident. who saw Francis and he Furthermore I was the r husband Sergey alive last, . Our group was climbin We had found Francis g to the top of Everes near “First Step” on a t. ridge of the mountain. unconscious and frost-bit She was alive but ten. Our previous grou p gave her all possible her their last oxigen cil he lp last day. They gave inders. But all efforts were unavailing. By th very high altitude durin is time she was being ata g two days without a te nt and oxygen. This le Please accept my deep ad s to death for all people and true condolence and . epression of sympaty to Returning from the top Your family. of Everest, I had foun d a few cassettes at a I pickedthem up just to heoght of 8600 meters make shure. I had deve . loped these cassettes by To my great surprise the end of last year. these were pictures of Francis. Some of them Francis on the way to were the pictures of the top of Everest and at the top itself. I unde pictures. They confirm rstood I had the unique ed Francis had climbed to the top of Everest Furthermore these we wi thout oxygen. re the last pictures of Francis. I send them via Americ an embassy in Uzbekist an, because I don’t know use them by your own Your address. Please discretion. I also send Yo u Francis’ tent. It was neering camps on the rid fo un d in one of mountaige. We had realized it belonged to Francis. T questioning of a lot of hi s wa people. s established by If you need any informa tion concerning this expe dition, please don’t hesit Syncerely yours ate to contact me. Ilyas Thkhvatullin