Ultrarunning
Gran Paradiso and Matterhorn in a day? No sweat for Fernanda Maciel
Fernanda Maciel has completed a breathtaking mountaineering double on a single day. The Brazilian adventurer gives us personal insight into her remarkable physical and mental conquest.
Ultrarunner Fernanda Maciel completed a stunning mountaineering double in the Alps on August 20 when, in a single day, she set a new female Fastest Known Time (FKT) on the Gran Paradiso in Italy and then climbed the iconic Matterhorn.
The Brazilian, who suffered frozen eyes in an accident on the Matterhorn three years ago and lost her flatmate in an accident there last year, overcame her fears to complete the feat just one day before a landslide trapped 25 climbers on the mountain.
I was super scared, but these mountains represent a physical, emotional and spiritual challenge for me
Climbing without rope in solo style, Maciel reached the 4,061m summit of Gran Paradiso in just two hours and 40 minutes, completing the round route in just four hours and three minutes to better her own previous FKT. She then transferred to Cervinia, in Italy, and climbed the 4,478m Matterhorn summit on a difficulty IV rated route.
"I have been trying to climb Matterhorn for many years and I was super scared, but these mountains represent a physical, emotional and spiritual challenge for me.” Maciel said. “I wanted to do this as a mountain running project.
“I cried a lot on the summit, remembering all my past. I couldn't believe it to have made the summit of Gran Paradiso 40 minutes faster than my old best time and then to have reached summit of the Matterhorn after facing my fears and emotional struggles."
Fernanda Maciel at the summit of the Matterhorn
© Mathis Dumas/Red Bull Content Pool
Maciel sets a new FKT on Gran Paradiso
© Mathis Dumas/Red Bull Content Pool
A high-five at 4,061 metres
© Mathis Dumas/Red Bull Content Pool
The former lawyer, Ultra Trail Vice World Champion and jiu jitsu champion has set her sights on fastest known times on some of the world's biggest mountains. She was the first woman to run up and down Aconcagua, the highest mountain in the Americas, and also holds the female FKT on Kilimanjaro.
But her latest achievement was one of her hardest yet, as not only did it involve highly technical glacier running, it finished with a challenging alpine ascent on a mountain where she had previously been forced to turn back just 300m beneath the summit.
The Matterhorn was the most challenging because the fear I have blocks me
Maciel added: "Pushing my body limits running on high altitude glaciers in Gran Paradiso was super hard,“ Maciel added. “But the Matterhorn was the most challenging because the fear I have blocks me.
"The Matterhorn is a very dangerous exposed mountain, with an exposed rocky and ice terrain which makes us respect this mountain even more. I'm super happy that I managed to do this sequence as I'm not an alpinist and being able to do these fast alpine routes is insane for me."
