Aretha Duarte Champions Accessible Mountaineering in Brazil
The mountaineer aims to bring climbing walls to underserved communities and advocates for mindful, educational use of national parks.
In a conversation on XTREMMA Sports, Aretha Duarte detailed the vital role mountains play in her daily life and reflected on democratizing the sport in Brazil. The athlete explained how access to natural areas and grassroots social projects can transform society's relationship with environmental conservation.
Even far from the world's great mountain ranges, the outdoors remains a core pillar in the daily life of Aretha Duarte. For the athlete, natural environments represent around 40% of her life across mindset, balance, and inner strength, sharing space with work and family life. However, she points out that Brazil is still in its infancy when it comes to developing a solid mountaineering culture, leaving its conservation units and national parks underutilized.
Sustainable access and conservation in Brazilian parks
Host Shubi Guimarães pointed out that Brazil's topography features stunning destinations, such as the "Giants of the Northeast" region in Chapada Diamantina—where Pico Barbado reaches an elevation of 2,090 meters—dispelling the myth that the country lacks significant peaks. Sharing her experience organizing trail races in Chapada dos Guimarães National Park, where a trail closed for a decade was reopened alongside ICMBio with visitor flow controls, Shubi reinforced the premise that people only protect what they know.
Aretha agreed on the need to rethink public use management. According to the mountaineer, studies show that current visitation in Brazilian parks is well below their sustainable carrying capacity. Rather than simply shutting off access to protected areas, the priority should be educating the public on low-impact practices, safety, and Leave No Trace principles, fostering a shared sense of responsibility for environmental conservation.
Climbing in the periphery and step-by-step progress
Democratizing outdoor sports also involves expanding infrastructure into underserved neighborhoods. After summiting Mount Everest, Aretha set a goal to install climbing walls in marginalized communities across Brazil. The initiative has already hit its first milestone with a wall opened in Campinas, though expanding further depends on new funding and partnerships.
While pursuing new backing, Aretha continues delivering social talks, taking part in forums, and working to draw newcomers into the sport. Applying the same discipline required on major ascents, the mountaineer emphasizes that daily focus on gradual, step-by-step progress is key to reconnecting society with nature.