In 2013, Kilian Jornet stunned the alpine world by setting a mind-blowing record on the Matterhorn in 2 hours 52 minutes round trip from Breuil-Cervinia on the Italian side. Ten years later, Italian Nadir Maguet was dreaming of going one better. He tells us about his desire for the summit, that fantastic 2h57 run from Breuil church to 4475 meters and back, just five minutes short of Kilian’s FKT. His story with the Matterhorn is not over, he tells us.
Rrecords are made to be broken. But it seems that some FKTs are harder to break than others. This week, two athletes took on the Matterhorn record set by Kilian Jornet in 2013: 2:52 round trip, a time that many, even among strong Italian athletes, considered unattainable.
“Ever since I was little, I’ve dreamed of climbing the Matterhorn,” says Nadir Maguet, contacted by telephone. On Tuesday August 22, the Italian athlete and mountaineer set off from the Breuil church, at an altitude of 2008 meters. “I wanted to attempt the record two years ago, but conditions on the mountain weren’t perfect. Last year, the drought made the mountain too dangerous, and the ridge was closed for a while. This year I’ve put the Matterhorn on my programme, and trained specifically for it all July.” Nadir Maguet sees the Matterhorn from his home.
The Italian normal route follows the Lion ridge, which cuts into the sky to the left of the Matterhorn summit on the Italian side.
In 2013, he