https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wanda_Rutkiewicz
Wanda Rutkiewicz (b. February 4th 1943 – d. May 12th – 13th 1992).
She was a Polish mountain climber and computer engineer. She was the first woman to reach the summit of K2 – and the third woman (first European woman) to summit Mount Everest.
Her death – While climbing Kangchenjunga, 49-year-old Rutkiewicz was last seen alive by Mexican climber Carlos Carsolio. She was sheltering at high altitude on the north-west face, during her attempted ascent of what would have been her ninth eight-thousander.
Despite being physically weakened she decided against descending. Carsolio said he did not have the mental strength to convince her to descend because he was weakened as well.
It was thought that her body had been found on the south-west face of the mountain in 1995 by Fausto de Stefani, Marco Galezzi and Silvio Mondinelli, suggesting that she had climbed up the north-west ridge to a point very close to the summit before falling down the south-west side.
However, more detailed analysis of the findings by the Italian climbers, such as colour of clothing and presence of Bulgarian-made tablets with the body, indicate that it was probably the body of Bulgarian climber Yordanka Dimitrova, who was killed by an avalanche on the south-west face of Kangchenjunga in October 1994.
It is unknown if Rutkiewicz reached the summit of Kangchenjunga. If she did so, she would have been the first woman to reach the top of the world’s three highest mountains. Her body has still not been found to this day.
by _Tegan_Quin