Melissa Arnot became the first American woman to summit Mount Everest without the use of supplemental oxygen today, May 23.
In the ascent, Arnot also solidified her record for most summits by a foreign woman, which she previously held, and now sits at six total ascents.
It’s an immense accomplishment, but there is an asterisk: Her ascent without oxygen is the first by an American with the footnote that it follows that of Francys Distefano-Arsentiev, an American woman who reached the summit without oxygen in 1998 but died during the descent.
American Woman Summits Without Supplemental O2
“I never anticipated that I would be lucky enough to summit once, let alone six times,” Arnot said. “Climbing Everest without supplemental oxygen has been a goal of mine for a long time.”
She continued, “When you succeed at reaching your goal, it makes you reflect on the hard days, the work, and lessons I’ve learned along the way. I’m incredibly fortunate to have this experience.”
