ON THE ROOF OF THE WORLD WITH ANDREA LANFRI

We followed with trepidation all of Andrea's steps towards the Roof of the World. We rejoiced with him and his climbing partner, the mountain guide Luca Montanari, when last Friday, at 5:40 in the morning local time, they were able to admire the sunrise from the highest point on Earth, at 8848 meters above sea level. Then we held our breath waiting for the news of their safe return to Base Camp, after the long and difficult descent.
Now that the feat has finally ended in the best possible way, we too can celebrate and express all the pride for having contributed to their success with the technical mountain equipment, born from the passion and know-how of Ferrino. In particular, Andrea was equipped with an ultralight Instinct backpack, a Lhotse 4 tent for the Base Camp, a Blizzard tent in Dyneema for the high camps, available in our FW22 collection starting from September.
Andrea's great climb began eight years ago, in 2015, when, due to the consequences of fulminant meningitis, he suffered the amputation of both legs and seven fingers. Instead of losing heart, the young athlete from Lucca faced the uphill road that led him not only to regain the normality of everyday life, but to excel in Paralympic running races and then to chase and achieve his dreams as a mountaineer, with increasingly ambitious goals, until he reached the top of the World.
Lanfri and Montanari climbed Everest via the classic South Face route. After reaching Nepal last April, they completed their acclimatization and Andrea took advantage of the opportunity to don his runner's blades and run the highest mile in the world, in just 9 minutes and 48 seconds.
In the early days of last week Andrea, using prostheses specifically designed for high-altitude climbing, climbed with his partner towards the high camps, until reaching the South Col, at 7900 meters, from where the final leap towards the summit began.
The climb was not easy at all and the difficulties were felt especially at very high altitudes, due to the very low temperatures and the rarefaction of the air. Andrea and Luca used oxygen tanks for the last stretch towards the summit.

We contacted Andrea a few hours after his return to Base Camp, to hear his impressions and emotions "hot".

Andrea, before leaving, when asked exactly how you imagined yourself on the summit of Everest, you preferred not to answer, saying that you wanted to face your challenge one step at a time. Now you've actually gotten there: what was it like looking at the horizon from the highest point on earth?

"An immense emotion, a journey, an image inside me that I had been dreaming of for years and finally I was there, all in a mix of surreal, a bit in doubt between dream and reality. Never in my life would I have thought I would enjoy so much beauty and happiness. "But where the hell am I?", this was my question inside me. Look how far I have arrived! If I had not gotten up after every fall on that path above the house that I tried to walk when I took my first steps with the prosthesis, how many things I would have missed! All the hard work, all the training, the people I have met along this journey, have led me to experience this joy. To them I say thank you, it is a beautiful feeling!".

What was the most challenging part of the climb?

"The descent! After passing the Hillary Step I started to feel discomfort when walking on my right foot. I thought: "Broken foot... Ok, no problem, at most I have a spare!". The descent became more and more tiring, but, slowly and with the help of a few abseils, I managed to get to Camp 4, very tired. Here, taking off my shoes, I discovered what the problem was: ice had formed between the carbon blades, preventing the movement of the foot! Once I had cleaned my foot of ice, even though the wind at the camp was very strong, I managed to sleep for a few hours, recovering energy for the descent the next day. The next morning from C4 we went down to C2, where a nice bottle of Coca Cola was waiting for me in the tent! Then the last day of hard work and danger with the crossing of the Ice Fall and finally the arrival at the Base!".

Were the difficulties you faced the same as other climbers or did this climb present you with different challenges and obstacles?

"Along with the problems of every mountaineer, I have to be very careful about what can happen to the stumps. If they become inflamed or ulcers form, I am unable to put on the prosthesis and, at those altitudes, it would not be a good thing... Experience, training and excellent management of sweating have made everything go well, but wearing the prosthesis can sometimes be painful and is always annoying. You have to know how to grit your teeth and stay focused on the objective".

How important was the support of technology in achieving your goal?

"The technology of the prosthesis is very important, but, if you don't add a good dose of willpower, the technology alone won't change your life! I still remember the phrase that my orthopedic technician said to me on the first day of the prosthesis: "Here are your new feet, now it's up to you to carry them around!". From that moment I understood that it wouldn't be easy! But I soon began to enjoy carrying around my new carbon and titanium feet... During a climb like this, even the recovery moments are fundamental. In this respect, it was essential to have the support and safety of technical equipment such as the tents made by Ferrino. I'm not just referring to protection from the wind and the cold, but also from the sunlight, which at those altitudes is truly blinding!".

The summit of Everest was the end point of a long journey. From that summit, were you able to see what the next step of your journey through the mountains could be?

"Yes, it's already planned! Actually, Everest is a stage of my journey, the most important one obviously, but a stage. The real project, "my7summits", will continue with the other peaks. The next one on the list? Kilimanjaro, the highest on the African continent!".

An ambitious project and many new challenges to achieve, therefore, to which Ferrino provides its support with great enthusiasm: "We are particularly happy for Andrea's success and proud to have an athlete like him among our ambassadors - explains CEO Anna Ferrino - His story demonstrates in the clearest way that there are no limits to passion and tenacity. Contributing with our products to the realization of his dreams and those of all the people who love the mountains and nature is for us the greatest satisfaction and the best recognition for our work".