Nationality Italian Known for Mountaineering Name Cristina Castagna | Occupation nurse,mountaineer Other names El Grio | |
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Similar People Fritz Wintersteller, Marcus Schmuck, Hermann Buhl, Kurt Diemberger | ||
Cristina castagna intervistata da stefania zilio
Cristina "El Grio" Castagna (23 December 1977 – 18 July 2009) was an Italian mountaineer and the first Italian woman to climb Makalu.
Contents
- Cristina castagna intervistata da stefania zilio
- Broad Peak incident
- Early life
- El Grio the dreamcatcher cricket
- Climbing achievements
- Notable climbs
- Humanitarian work
- Places and routes
- Books
- References
Castagna was born in San Quirico di Valdagno. She died in 2009 on Broad Peak, after reaching the summit.
Broad Peak incident
Cristina Castagna and Giampaolo Casarotto planned to climb Broad Peak and Gasherbrum I in their 2009 expedition. Before leaving home, in a prophetic note later found by relatives, Castagna asked to be left on the mountains in case of severe accident.
The same day Fabrizio Zangrilli, Benedikt Böhm and Sebastian Haag from Dynafit Gore-Tex-Team were climbing the mountain and spent a few stops with the Italian duo. On 18 July at 3 pm local time, Castagna and Casarotto managed to reach the summit safely, despite severe weather conditions that had slowed the two climbers for nearly ten hours.
During the descent, at 7,800 metres (25,600 ft), Castagna slipped down, gaining momentum and stopping several metres below in a crevasse. Giampaolo Casarotto eventually managed to reach and try to rescue her, to no avail.
The same day, more than 30 people attempted to reach the summit and no summit was initially confirmed. Her body rests at 7,800 metres (25,600 ft), making recovery difficult for helicopters. The family, following her last will, decided to not attempt a recovery, thus avoiding risking other mountaineers' and porters' lives.
Castagna was remembered during an Italian Senate meeting by Lega Nord senators Paolo Franco and Gianvittore Vaccari. A month after Castagna's death, following an Italian expedition in Hindu Kush, Tarcisio Bellò solo-climbed an unnamed peak and named it after her.
Early life
Cristina was born near San Quirico di Valdagno, near Vicenza. Youngest of four children, during her childhood, she began discovering mountains with her father and her uncle. After a technical degree she became an nurse in the ER hospital in Vicenza, a job she kept for all her life.
After a brief interest into volleyball, in her twenties she began climbing and ski mountaineering with CAI. A few years later, she would be heading to the North Col.
"El Grio", the dreamcatcher cricket
During childhood Cristina was a lively girl, always in motion, so her father gave her the nickname "Grio" (Cricket). She liked the nickname so much she kept it in her adult life ("El Grio") often in conjunction with "acchiappasogni" (dreamcatcher). She was also an avid reader and writer. Following the Makalu feat, she began to appear on Italian national news and newspapers. Nevertheless, she kept working as a nurse, climbing in her spare time, and initially at her own expense. Although she had several sponsors, (notably she was in Salewa AlpineXtrem team) she never became fully a professional climber by status. She also cooperated as alpini nurse and was enrolled to the National Alpini Association and to CAI.
After her death, Jorge Egocheaga, Iñaki Ochoa's climbing mate, revealed her role in his rescue on the Dhaulagiri glacier.
Climbing achievements
Cristina Castagna was the first Italian woman to climb Makalu and at the time of her death, remained the youngest Italian woman to climb an eight-thousander (Shishapangma) at 27 years. In 2003, during an expedition headed by Tarcisio Bellò along with Mario Vielmo, she met Giampaolo Casarotto, who would later be her climbing partner for many expeditions. The Everest attempt ended at 7,800 metres (25,600 ft)
In 2004 she climbed again with Vielmo, this time to the summit of Shishapangma, along with Michele Fait. In 2005 she climbed Gasherbrum II, alongside Gerlinde Kaltenbrunner In 2006 she attempted to climb Lhotse, again with Giampaolo Casarotto and Silvio "Gnaro" Mondinelli, Marco Confortola and Giampaolo Corona. However, cold weather and frostbite drove her back at 8,120 metres (26,640 ft). In 2008 came the successful Makalu attempt, with Casarotto. At 8,000 metres (26,000 ft) she was struck by the cold but met Waldemar Niclevicz and Irivan Burda who helped her. On the 11th of May she became the first Italian woman to reach the summit of Makalu, but suffered seriously frostbitten feet that would leave her in hospital for weeks.
In her last trip, she planned to climb both Broad Peak and Gasherbrum I along with Giampaolo Casarotto, but died during the descent after reaching the summit of Broad Peak. The Italian press agency Ansa mentioned her death in the prominent events of 2009 for Italy
Notable climbs
Humanitarian work
In 1999 Cristina served as a nurse in Valona during Italian government humanitarian mission "Missione Arcobaleno" in Albania. An Eye hospital service, specialized in early Cataract treatment, has since been created in Alepe, Ivory Coast to remember Castagna
Places and routes
Books
On 1, July 2010 CAI Valdagno and Recoaro Terme sections published a biography by Massimo Fontana, on Castagna's life and achievements.