Ultra runner and Red Bull athlete Fernanda Maciel has pushed the limits of human endurance by setting the fastest known time (FKT) on Carstensz Pyramid, the highest peak in Oceania.
She reached the 4,884m peak from base camp and descended again in just 1h 48m, smashing her target of two hours, covering 3.41km and climbing 582m over rugged limestone. The record has been verified by SkyRunning World Records.
Footage released on her Instagram account shows her emotional summit and finish. “The conditions here are very tough," she says. "It’s technical and always bad weather. The snow and the slippery rocks, it’s very dangerous. It was super-tough mentally. I was super happy that I was able to control my mind.”
Maciel also revealed: "The mountain is quite intimidating because you arrive here already sleep-deprived, the base camp conditions are very tough, and there’s no food… I ate an instant noodle before setting off, for example. That was all there was. So, you’re in a very weakened state."
The challenge was a long time in the making: she’s been planning to summit since 2019, but the area has been closed to foreign visitors because of conflict in the area between the Indonesian government and the Free Papua movement. Currently it is open.
It was a grueling challenge, but just a small part of the demanding endurance journey she’s on, setting FKTs on each of the 'Seven Summits' – the highest peaks on each of the seven continents. So far she has achieved this on five of them:
- Aconcagua (South America) – 22h 52m 0s
- Kilimanjaro (Africa) – 7h 8m 0s
- Elbrus (Europe) – 7h 40m 0s
- Vinson (Antarctica) – 9h 41m 38s
- Puncak Jaya / Carstensz Pyramid (Oceania) – 1h 48m
Maciel is aiming to tackle Denali in North America and Everest in Asia in 2026.
