SAMAYA x MATTEO DE ZAIACOMO
FITZ ROY SUMMIT AS A DUO
In January 2024, Italian mountaineer Matteo de Zaiacomo and his partner Chiara Gusmeroli traveled to Patagonia to fulfill a shared dream: reaching the summit of Fitz Roy. After a serious injury in 2023, Matteo was unsure if he could return to mountaineering. However, his determination and resilience led him to the foot of this Patagonian giant.
"A trip to Patagonia is a significant event for any mountaineer.
It was not my first time in El Chaltén. I had already climbed Cerro Torre via a new route in 2022, but I had never climbed Fitz Roy. The dream of reaching its summit was born from the many adventures recounted by my friends and those I had read about in books. What allowed this project to come to life was undoubtedly the motivation of my partner Chiara Gusmeroli, who dreamed more than anything of reaching the summit of this beautiful, famous, and daunting mountain.
Climatic conditions in Patagonia are very complex and precipitation is frequent. Warm winds arriving from the ocean cool suddenly when passing over the continental glacier and condense at the first mountain massif they encounter. It is therefore not easy to find good weather windows for climbing. The faces change every week: a route that was possible yesterday may no longer be the next day.
I quickly realized that ice routes like the Super Canaleta were unfeasible because they were not in condition. The Afanasieff route seemed to be the only possibility.
We landed on the afternoon of January 9th in El Calafate, took a taxi to El Chaltén, and just had time to pack our backpacks to head off the next day to take on Fitz Roy. We questioned ourselves a lot about the choice of equipment to bring. Being light on this type of terrain is what makes the difference between success and failure. However, we did not want to give up the comfort of pleasant hours at night to recover and recharge our energy.
The approach was very long, nearly nine hours of walking, directly followed by the ascent to the first third of the mountain. We found a spot to pitch our tent and, after a delicious freeze-dried dinner, we spent a wonderful night in this exclusive hotel in the heart of the most beautiful place in the world. Light and compact, our Samaya ASSAUT2 ULTRA provided us with a quiet night, protected from the wind and allowing us to rest fully.
The next day, we pushed on with the hardest part. We had trained for months and our Samaya ULTRA35 pack was light enough to climb quickly. During the climb, I felt at home. It might seem strange, but since I have been climbing on granite for 20 years, every time I find myself with climbing shoes on my feet on the rock, I feel perfectly in tune with my environment. Chiara felt the same way. We had trained perfectly on the ridges and walls of the Masino-Brevaglia mountains. Obviously, the dimensions of Fitz Roy are not comparable to those of the mountains in the Alps. The levels of commitment and adventure are amplified and offered us a continuous, sustained climb. This route is a labyrinth where you risk getting lost from time to time, but it allowed us to find ourselves even far from home.
We reached the summit in the evening, tired but happy! The sunset was a flaming red. We hugged each other and admired the magnificent view, letting all the emotions felt during the ascent wash over us.
The descent of Fitz Roy is almost as complicated as the ascent. We had to descend on the opposite side to the one we climbed. During our descent, we stuck a rope and had to make an important decision: either abandon it and continue with only the other rope, or climb back up to retrieve it. Climbing back up meant losing time, which was inconceivable as the sun was heating the snow and everything around us was becoming dangerous and unstable. We abandoned the rope and descended as quickly as possible. When we arrived on the glacier, far from the mountain, we saw avalanches triggering at the spot where we had passed: we had made the right choice.
This trip was very important to me. I have done several expeditions to Baffin Island, the Himalayas, Kyrgyzstan, and Patagonia in particular, but in 2023, a bad back injury made me think it was the end of expeditions. The idea of facing such large and dangerous mountains again scared me. The route we chose is not the most difficult in the world, but it was tinged with a special meaning: that of being able to believe in myself again and being able to dream of new projects all around the world.
I thank Chiara for this incredible adventure and for believing in me despite my injury, as well as my friends and family. I thank the Ragni di Lecco for always having been by my side in my projects. To all the old and new friends I met on the road who made this experience unforgettable. I also salute Samaya, who works with the same goals as mountaineers, with products that are efficient in weight and quality—fundamental pieces of the puzzle, without which it could never be complete."
