Brazilian Climber, Moeses Fiamoncini: Defying Heights and Loss on the World’s Tallest Peaks

Adventure is often portrayed as a pastime of the privileged, but for Brazilian climber Moeses Fiamoncini, it represents a lifelong pursuit of purpose amid the majestic mountains. Beyond recreation, Fiamoncini sees adventure as a means to transcend life’s constraints, enabling him to discover the profound beauty of the world’s highest peaks.

This insatiable passion has fueled Fiamoncini’s remarkable journey to conquer eight peaks exceeding 8000 meters. He etched his name into history as the first Brazilian to ascend Dhaulagiri and reach the true summit of Manaslu. Furthermore, he stands as the Brazilian climber with the most 8000-meter peaks to his name, having scaled seven without supplemental oxygen, while employing oxygen during his ascent of Mt. Everest.

Growing up in a family and neighborhood without adventure backgrounds, Fiamoncini’s adventurous spirit has been a part of him since childhood. At the age of 12, he felt an indescribable urge to explore beyond the horizons he knew. A small hill near his home in Parana, Brazil, served as his first conquest, igniting a lifelong passion for exploration. “It was an urge, a different kind of urge,” he reminisces. “I felt a sense of accomplishment upon reaching the hill’s peak. However, it was not an end but the beginning of my journey to explore beyond the horizon and see the world.”

At 29, Fiamoncini decided to set out on an adventure to explore the world, leaving behind his former life. He was inexperienced, unaware of the necessary preparations and equipment, but his yearning for exploration overshadowed any uncertainty. Portugal was his first destination, where he spent six years encountering people from diverse backgrounds, religions, cultures, ethnicities, and races, and learning valuable life lessons. Subsequently, he journeyed to Spain for a few weeks, marking the start of his travels to over 80 countries in South and North America, South Asia, South Africa, and beyond.

Fiamoncini’s mountaineering journey began in 2018, with the ascent of Manaslu (8163m), the world’s eighth-highest peak located in Nepal. “Reaching the summit of Manaslu felt like my childhood dream had truly come to life,” he recalls.

Unfazed by the difficulties, he went on to conquer Nanga Parbat (8126m), the world’s ninth-highest peak, in 2019, followed by K2 (8611m), the second-highest peak on Earth, in the same year. His list of successful summits includes Broad Peak (8051m), Gasherbrum II (8035m), Gasherbrum I (8080m), Dhaulagiri (8167m), and Everest (8848.86m). Notably, Fiamoncini scaled all these peaks without supplemental oxygen, except for his ascent of Everest.

Achieving such feats requires hard work, sacrifice, dedication, perseverance, and the ability to overcome challenges and failures. Fiamoncini faced numerous setbacks during his mountaineering journey. He attempted Annapurna I (8091m), the world’s tenth-highest mountain, three times, without success. Similarly, he made unsuccessful attempts to scale Dhaulagiri and Manaslu twice each, and his effort to conquer Lhotse (8516m), the world’s fourth-highest peak, did not materialize.

These setbacks, however, only served to strengthen his determination and commitment to explore further. “Failure has made me more determined and focused on my goals,” he explains. “I aspire to transcend my limitations and explore more and more.”

Fiamoncini’s ultimate objective is to conquer all 14 of the world’s peaks above 8000 meters by 2025.

Fiamoncini leads a nomadic life, with no permanent home of his own. His home is wherever he stays, whether sleeping in the embrace of mountains, monasteries, hills, or even the great outdoors. When not climbing, he enjoys traveling, reading, and practicing yoga and meditation. With a strong emphasis on health, he follows a healthy diet and maintains an active lifestyle. “This planet is my home, and I wish to delve deeper into nature,” he expresses.

A Near-Death Experience

During his Dhaulagiri expedition in 2019, Fiamoncini faced a near-death experience. While crossing a snow-covered rock band near the summit, he slipped and fell 20 meters. His helmet shattered, and he found himself buried in snow. “I nearly succumbed to hypothermia,” he recounts. The incident occurred at 8120 meters, preventing him from reaching the summit by a mere 47 meters.

Despite the terrifying accident, he remained determined to continue his journey to the summit. However, adverse weather conditions halted his ascent. With temperatures plummeting to minus 27 degrees Celsius and wind speeds reaching 55 km/h, he was compelled to return to Camp 3 for his own safety. This descent took him nine hours to complete, and it required three days to reach the Base Camp. Subsequently, he was evacuated to Kathmandu via a rescue helicopter, having endured frostbites on his hands and feet.

Eyewitness to a Tragic Accident on Annapurna

In 2023, Fiamoncini was a witness to a tragic accident on Annapurna I. During his descent from the summit, he was accompanying Indian climber Anurag Maloo when Maloo accidentally used a short rope, causing him to collide with hard ice and fall into a crevasse. Fiamoncini, alongside a Sherpa and later joined by five or six other climbers, searched for Maloo for nearly two hours but couldn’t locate him. They returned to Camp 2. Four days later, a rescue team recovered Maloo in critical condition, and he is currently recovering in India.

Losing Five Friends to the Mountains

Fiamoncini has endured the loss of five dear friends who shared his passion for mountaineering. These friends, with whom he attempted Dhaulagiri, were Sergi Mingote from Spain, Juan Pablo Mohr from Chile, Ali Sadpara from Pakistan, Atanas Skatov from Bulgaria, and Antonios Sykaris from Greece. These climbers tragically lost their lives during their ascent of K2 in 2021 and Dhaulagiri in 2022.

The memory of his friends remained close to his heart. During his Manaslu summit in 2023, Fiamoncini paid tribute to them. He recalled the pivotal moment when he almost gave up near the summit, overwhelmed by thoughts. Yet, the voices of Sergi and Juan Pablo encouraged him to persevere, telling him, “Dale Moe… Dale! Es fuerte… a la cumbre!” He credits their unwavering support for his summit success and dedicated the achievement to the memory of his fallen comrades.

For Fiamoncini, the mountains are both a source of profound loss and remarkable triumphs, all driving him toward new peaks and his ultimate goal of conquering the world’s 14 highest 8000-meter peaks.