Cristina Castagna
Cristina Castagna | |
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Born | (1977-12-23)23 December 1977 San Quirico, Valdagno, Italy |
Died | 18 July 2009(2009-07-18) (aged 31) Broad Peak, Pakistan-China |
Nationality | Italian |
Other names | El Grio |
Occupation(s) | nurse, mountaineer |
Known for | mountaineering |
Cristina "El Grio" Castagna (23 December 1977 – 18 July 2009) was an Italian mountaineer and the first Italian woman to climb Makalu. She died in 2009 on Broad Peak, after reaching the summit.[1]
Early life
Castagna was born near San Quirico di Valdagno, near Vicenza.[2] Youngest of four children,[3] during her childhood, she began discovering mountains with her father and her uncle.[2][4] After a technical degree she became a nurse[4] in the ER hospital in Vicenza, a job she kept for all her life.[citation needed]
During her childhood, Castagna was very active, so her father gave her the nickname "Grio" (Cricket).[5] 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.[1][6][7] After she became the first Italian woman to climb Makalu,[8] she began to appear on Italian national news[9] and newspapers. Nevertheless, she kept working as a nurse, climbing in her spare time, and initially at her own expense.[citation needed]
After a brief interest in volleyball, in her twenties she began climbing and ski mountaineering[2] with Club Alpino Italiano (CAI). Although she had several sponsors, and was a member of the Salewa AlpineXtrem team,[10] she never became a fully professional climber by status.[11] She also worked as a nurse with the Alpini, and was enrolled with the National Alpini Association[12] and Club Alpino Italiano.[13]
Climbing achievements
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 Mount 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.[2] In 2005 she climbed Gasherbrum II, alongside Gerlinde Kaltenbrunner[2] In 2006 she attempted to climb Lhotse,[14] again with [and Silvio 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 Nicleviczand Irivan Burda who helped her. On 11 May she became the first Italian woman to reach the summit of Makalu,[15] 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 Casarotto, but died during the descent after reaching the summit of Broad Peak.[1] The Italian press agency Ansa mentioned her death in the prominent events of 2009 for Italy.[16]
Broad Peak incident
Castagna and Giampaolo Casarotto planned to climb Broad Peak and Gasherbrum I in their 2009 expedition. Before leaving home, in a note later found by relatives, Castagna asked to be left on the mountains in case of severe accident.[citation needed]
The same day Fabrizio Zangrilli, Benedikt Böhm and Sebastian Haag from the Dynafit Gore-Tex-Team were climbing the mountain and spent a few stops with the Italian duo.[17][18] On 18 July at 3 pm local time, Castagna and Casarotto reached the summit, despite severe weather conditions that had slowed the two climbers for nearly ten hours.[1] During the descent, at 7,800 metres (25,600 ft), Castagna slipped down, gaining momentum and stopping several metres below in a crevasse.[19] Giampaolo Casarotto eventually managed to reach and try to rescue her, to no avail.[1][20][21][22][23] Her body is 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.[24]
Castagna was remembered during an Italian Senate meeting by Lega Nord senators Paolo Franco and Gianvittore Vaccari.[25][26][27] 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.[28][15]
Notable climbs
- Aconcagua, Argentina, 2003
- Shishapangma, Tibet, 2004, at 27 the youngest Italian woman to successfully climb an Eight thousander
- Gasherbrum II, Pakistan-China, 2005
- Lhotse, Nepal, 2006 (did not reach summit)
- Dhaulagiri, Nepal, 2007
- Makalu, Nepal-Tibet, 2008, first Italian woman to climb Makalu[8]
- Broad Peak, Pakistan-China, 2009 (died during descent)[1]
Humanitarian work
In 1999 Castagna served as a nurse in Valona during Italian government humanitarian mission "Missione Arcobaleno" in Albania.[15][29] An eye hospital service, specialized in early cataract treatment, has since been created in Alepe, Ivory Coast to remember Castagna.[2][15][30]
Places and routes
- Cristina Castagna peak, 5.311 metres (17.42 ft) Hindu Kush, first ascent by Tarcisio Bellò, August 10, 2009[28]
- Cristina Castagna eye service, Alepè, Ivory Coast, an eye hospital.[30]
- Cristina Castagna mountaineering Center, Gothulti, Pakistan,[31][32][33] in progress.
- Via Fragile Esistenza (route in memory of Castagna),[34][35] Campanile di Scagina, Piccole Dolomiti, Veneto, Italy. By Mario Brighente, Simone Gianesin, Bottegal, Gino Dal Cero, 2009
Books
On 1, July 2010 CAI Valdagno and Recoaro Terme sections published a biography by Massimo Fontana, on Castagna's life and achievements.[2]
See also
References
- ^ a b c d e f "Giampaolo Casarotto accident report back in Italy". Archived from the original on 30 December 2013. Retrieved 30 July 2009.
- ^ a b c d e f g Massimo Fontana, Cristina Castagna, L'acchiappasogni, CAI Valdagno e CAI Recoaro Terme Archived 2011-07-22 at archive.today
- ^ El Grio riposa sul Karakorum Valdagno piange Cristina
- ^ a b "Vicenza. Precipita in un crepaccio sul K3, è morta "el grio" Cristina Castagna". Archived from the original on 19 February 2012. Retrieved 29 July 2009.
- ^ "Non si conquista la vetta, ma se stessi". Archived from the original on 24 February 2012. Retrieved 28 July 2009.
- ^ "Cristina's death on ilsole24ore national newspaper". Archived from the original on 24 July 2009. Retrieved 28 July 2009.
- ^ "Premio Calastoria (in memoriam)". Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 30 September 2011.
- ^ a b News.html First italian woman on Makalu[permanent dead link]
- ^ Italian state interview from Corriere della Sera website
- ^ Salewa note about Cristina Castagna death[permanent dead link]
- ^ Cristina Castagna, la piccola vicentina che guarda il mondo dall'alto Archived 2007-06-25 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Era iscritta alla Sezione di Valdagno, Cristina Castagna morta sul Karakorum. Archived 2011-07-18 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Cai Valdagno Archived 2008-06-29 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Lhotse attempt with Confortola, Mondinelli, Casarotto Archived 2012-11-27 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ a b c d Castagna Biography on Progetto Alepe Archived 2011-07-27 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Ansa italian Photostory for 2009
- ^ Zwei alpine Grenzgänger: Benedikt Böhm and Sebastian Haag on Broad Peak (in German) Archived 2009-11-11 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Wettlauf mit dem Tod: Benedikt Böhm and Sebastian Haag (in German)
- ^ "Broad Peak report". Archived from the original on 12 August 2009. Retrieved 31 July 2009.
- ^ Muore Cristina Castagna
- ^ Cristina confirmed lost on Broad Peek
- ^ Giampaolo Casarotto on Cristina's death[permanent dead link]
- ^ Broad, la Castagna precipita dopo la cima
- ^ Rispetto del suo volere Rimarrà sempre lassù
- ^ MONTANA:LEGO RICORDA IN SENATO SCALATA K2 E CRISTINA CASTAGNA Archived 2012-09-10 at archive.today
- ^ Italian Senate meeting n.249 abstract: K2 and Castagna
- ^ Commemorazione Cristina Castagna from Paolo Franco Site Archived 2012-03-31 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ a b Pakistan, una cima per la Castagna
- ^ Italian Alpine Club page on Cristina Archived 2008-06-29 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ a b Cristina Castagna Eye hospital service Archived 2010-04-12 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Climbing Center Cristina Castagna". Archived from the original on 22 July 2011. Retrieved 9 October 2010.
- ^ "Climbing Center Cristina castagna". Archived from the original on 27 March 2012. Retrieved 30 September 2011.
- ^ "Camminate sui monti nel nome di Castagna". Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 30 September 2011.
- ^ Via Fragile Esistenza, topos by Muroduro Archived 2013-02-18 at archive.today
- ^ Via Fragile Esistenza, topos by Rampegoni
External links
- Cristina Castagna official page
- the ill-fated summit attempt
- Cristina's loss on Italian media and Reinhold Messner's view on the accident
- Veneti in the world: Amor di montagna, quando l'alpinismo diventa poesia (from
- ANA website (National Alpini Association)
- La nueva espana interviews Rosa Fernández, on Broad Peek at the moment of the accident Archived 20 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine
- La Stampa, Alberto Papuzzi: the last love words Archived 5 August 2009 at the Wayback Machine
- Basti, Beni und Cristina Castagna auf dem Vorgipfel des Broad Peak (in german)
- Sportivissimo, Luigi Centorno on Cristina Castagna
- Bepi Magrin on Cristina Castagna