Trailrunner Missing on Matterhorn As She Prepared For FKT Attempt
Explorersweb » • • sports
Key Points:
- Trailrunner Kalie McCrystal, 38, has been missing on the Italian side of the Matterhorn since September 1 during a training trip to attempt a Fastest Known Time (FKT) via the Lion’s Ridge, aiming to complete the round trip in under five hours.
- Helicopter searches on both Italian and Swiss sides were conducted until September 7 but found no trace; aerial search efforts have since been suspended, with mountain guides asked to watch for signs of her.
- McCrystal is an accomplished athlete who recently set FKTs on the Swiss side of the Matterhorn and in Squamish, B.C.; she planned to replicate her success on the Italian side after a period of dangerous rockfall and unstable conditions halted guided climbs.
- The Matterhorn has been a hotspot for fierce female FKT competition despite hazardous conditions, with recent rockfalls and extreme heat causing debate over safety and climbing methods on routes requiring scrambling and rope use.
- After conditions improved in late August and the Carrel hut reopened, McCrystal was last seen scouting the Lion’s Ridge route on September 1, marking the beginning of the ongoing search for her whereabouts.
