Mengão in the heights
Discover the story of the mountaineer who reached the top of Aconcagua wearing the Sacred Mantle.
By From the team at Flamengo's official website - in
This is a story of grit and perseverance. From someone who combined planning, preparation, and sheer willpower to reach the top. "This photo is my small contribution to further encourage Flamengo toward the top of the Brasileirão," says Rosiane de Freitas, who realized a dream last year: reaching the summit of Mount Aconcagua, in the Andes Mountains, still in Argentina. It's the highest point in the Americas, at 6.962 meters. It's the highest mountain in the Southern Hemisphere. The highest in the Western Hemisphere.
"It was starting to snow, it was getting quite windy, and the cold was increasing, but I managed to take off my layers of clothing—those lying on the ground—for a moment to capture all my passion for Mengão. And place it on top of Aconcagua, just as we always want to see it," says the mountaineer, who has a PhD in Computer Systems Engineering.
To reach the summit, right around Christmas last year, the red-and-black followed the so-called normal pioneer route, which involves the northwest face. Along with a friend, it took 11 days to reach the summit—13 for the entire excursion. There were five camps, about 4000 meters of direct elevation gain, and over 1000 meters on summit day. "We faced favorable weather conditions, but even so, the climate was extreme—very cold and dry in general, with freezing nights, winds, and thin air, as well as sunny days with intense heat at the beginning of the journey. And the terrain was heterogeneous and uneven, with sandy soil mixed with various sediments and gravel, as well as long stretches of compact or soft snow," she describes her experience.
The mountaineer's family supports Flamengo. "My father is from Minas Gerais, and as soon as he arrived here in Rio, back in the 1950s, he wanted to watch a soccer game at the Maracanã Stadium, and ended up supporting Mengão... and then, you see, he became another Flamengo fan and influenced his entire family," he explains.
She grew up with four Flamengo-supporting siblings. "I think I learned to support Flamengo before I even learned to speak. And to top it all off, my childhood was filled with celebrations of the many victories of the generation of Zico, Júnior, and company. We'd go out with jerseys and flags to the streets to join the crowd of fans, watch and participate in the parade of floats, and sing until we lost our voices," she recalls.
Today, she claims to be the most passionate Mengão fan in her family. "I watch everything, I like to know the rules in detail, I watch the debate shows, I always go to Maracanã, of course, and I'm an amateur commentator during the games. Importantly, I don't fall for the anti-Flamengo fanatics, because I have better things to do... and cheer," she comments, while admitting to being a real wooden-legged fan, despite her aptitude for sports – she attends the Brazilian Excursionist Center in Rio de Janeiro, which focuses on high altitudes, rock climbing, and long-distance hikes with complex logistics.
Rosiane, who teaches at universities, has already taken Flamengo's colors to Pico da Neblina in Amazonas. "And to many other adventures and hardships in my life," she adds. The photo at the summit of Aconcagua was taken on December 25th of last year. "I sought with great determination and motivation this true Christmas present, just as I hope it will be with Mengão in this final stretch of the Brazilian Championship."
"It was starting to snow, it was getting quite windy, and the cold was increasing, but I managed to take off my layers of clothing—those lying on the ground—for a moment to capture all my passion for Mengão. And place it on top of Aconcagua, just as we always want to see it," says the mountaineer, who has a PhD in Computer Systems Engineering.
To reach the summit, right around Christmas last year, the red-and-black followed the so-called normal pioneer route, which involves the northwest face. Along with a friend, it took 11 days to reach the summit—13 for the entire excursion. There were five camps, about 4000 meters of direct elevation gain, and over 1000 meters on summit day. "We faced favorable weather conditions, but even so, the climate was extreme—very cold and dry in general, with freezing nights, winds, and thin air, as well as sunny days with intense heat at the beginning of the journey. And the terrain was heterogeneous and uneven, with sandy soil mixed with various sediments and gravel, as well as long stretches of compact or soft snow," she describes her experience.
The mountaineer's family supports Flamengo. "My father is from Minas Gerais, and as soon as he arrived here in Rio, back in the 1950s, he wanted to watch a soccer game at the Maracanã Stadium, and ended up supporting Mengão... and then, you see, he became another Flamengo fan and influenced his entire family," he explains.
She grew up with four Flamengo-supporting siblings. "I think I learned to support Flamengo before I even learned to speak. And to top it all off, my childhood was filled with celebrations of the many victories of the generation of Zico, Júnior, and company. We'd go out with jerseys and flags to the streets to join the crowd of fans, watch and participate in the parade of floats, and sing until we lost our voices," she recalls.
Today, she claims to be the most passionate Mengão fan in her family. "I watch everything, I like to know the rules in detail, I watch the debate shows, I always go to Maracanã, of course, and I'm an amateur commentator during the games. Importantly, I don't fall for the anti-Flamengo fanatics, because I have better things to do... and cheer," she comments, while admitting to being a real wooden-legged fan, despite her aptitude for sports – she attends the Brazilian Excursionist Center in Rio de Janeiro, which focuses on high altitudes, rock climbing, and long-distance hikes with complex logistics.
Rosiane, who teaches at universities, has already taken Flamengo's colors to Pico da Neblina in Amazonas. "And to many other adventures and hardships in my life," she adds. The photo at the summit of Aconcagua was taken on December 25th of last year. "I sought with great determination and motivation this true Christmas present, just as I hope it will be with Mengão in this final stretch of the Brazilian Championship."