Cumbres Magazine Article with Mia Farrow

Original article by Cumbres Magazine in Spanish link and translated in English.

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Cumbres Magazine Online

Mia, the mother who pursues dreams in the mountains

Mia Farrow is the mother of three young daughters. She is Serbian by birth and Australian by adoption. At 46 years old, after several attempts in previous years, she became the third woman to complete the Aconcagua 360° route.

The Aconcagua 360° route has a distance of about 108 km. It begins at 2,800 meters above sea level in Horcones, and climbs to the summit of 6,962 meters by the normal route, then returning to the other base camp, Plaza Argentina. From there, through the Vacas gate to the entrance to the Provincial Park, finally connecting with the other access via the vehicle route.

Mia's journey to Aconcagua actually began in January 2020. There and then she began to write her story of self-confidence, perseverance, courage and teamwork.

She successfully completed the climb between February 9 and 11, 2025, becoming the third woman in the world to complete the longest route on the highest mountain in America, and she was able to document it.

The 108km journey

In March 2019 Mia turned 41. After her maternity leave, both from work and sport, she decided to return to her hobbies: the mountains, running and altitude.

“For some mothers, there is a life before and after children,” says Mia. For this particular mother, when her daughters were 2, 3 and 5 years old, she decided it was time to return to her long-lost goals.

It was also a process of regaining a sense of self. Mia is confident that some mother friends might be able to relate.

“I have spent about 7 years devoting myself completely to raising my babies and being a full-time mother and partner. Motherhood can be the most rewarding job and also the most exhausting at the same time. It takes endless energy, love and inspiration to be able to give to others constantly and continuously” she sums up her time.

After seven years, she felt she had reached a point where he was beginning to lose sight of her goals: “I recognised that I needed to regain my spark, I needed to revitalise myself. I decided to climb Aconcagua.”

Her last mountain before her daughters arrived in 2009 was Kilimanjaro (Tanzania, 5,985m) – “I did it as a quick climb in one day” She thought that Aconcagua, at 6,962 metres, was the next natural step.

January 14, 2020

That day Mia Farrow reached the summit of the highest peak in America in just seven days, with the team of mountain guide Julián Insarralde.

After that expedition on the normal route, where she carried a 25 kg backpack on her back, it took her only 3 days to recover, in Las Cuevas.

She then undertook her first attempt at the Aconcagua 360° route alone. At that time, Mia had only spent 10 days at altitude. Reaching just 350 metres from the summit, Mia decided to try again.

The world on pause

COVID-19 kept the world on hold for almost two years.

Mia recalls that time: “This was a good opportunity to build my endurance and strength, since I had just started running again. And we all know that building endurance takes years.”

Aconcagua 360° still seemed like a very interesting and challenging project, exactly what she needed to stay motivated and inspired during those particular couple of years.

The time had come. Mia felt confident and inspired to organise another expedition so she could experience Aconcagua through the Vacas Valley and complete the entire 360° circuit.

Back on track

In December 2022, she joined the team of a local company. On an 18-day expedition she managed to reach the summit, once again, at Christmas 2022.

“We had a large and fun group and amazing guides: Agustín Zambrano, Diego Pallotti and Diego Cofone. The most fun was leaving Camp 3 around 9 AM with Diego Cofone, catching up with the team that had left at 4 AM and then reaching the summit together at 3 PM” she recalls with joy.

She highlights Diego’s attitude of lending her his own gloves at 6,400 meters, when her hands were in danger of freezing.

“An incredible gesture from Diego that will stay with me for life” she recalls excitedly.

Immediately after this expedition, the weather worsened so much that no team was able to reach the summit for more than a week.

Mia waited patiently and tried some short stretches on the normal route. They all ended up at C2. The bitter cold and snow storms gave no respite.

Given the circumstances, Mia had only completed the Vacas Valley section up to Plaza Argentina Base Camp. And she had to call it quits on her 360° C1 attempt for the season.

With no more days left in Argentina and deeply disappointed, Mia returned home to re-evaluate her plans.

Thorough preparation

2022 was an emotionally critical year for Mia due to the loss of her father, just a few months before the Aconcagua season. Her dad was instrumental in her early days as a runner, as a teenager. He was the one who enrolled her and her siblings in a local mountaineering club at the age of 10. It was his way of encouraging her to run at high altitude later, as if to balance her career in finance.

“I first heard about Aconcagua when I was 12. A group of local climbers were presenting their climbing photos and videos of Aconcagua to the group and that left a big impression on me. It was one of those long-range goals that I could only dream of as a child," she later said.

In 2023, Mia returned to training in the Blue Mountains, a mountainous area near Sydney. And she continued her weekly strength routine in an altitude simulation gym.

“I was determined to come back and finish the project. I always believed that everything was going to happen, it was just a matter of time and enduring the training routine. And it's not like I was getting younger,” she jokes about it.

Mia felt that the more she worked, the better and stronger she felt and the easier the process became.

“In 2024, I felt like things were finally going my way. My personal trainer Conor Houlihan had designed a world-class program and without missing a session for 40 weeks, 2024 was a very satisfying year for me personally.” She was adding more and more distance and was injury-free. Her recovery was good and she was able to add a hypoxic tent in the evenings.

At that time she joined Czech Martin Zhor from Uphill Athlete, the Aconcagua record holder: “He has coached and guided me in 2024 and worked with me on a general approach to race training, a hypoxic tent program, some general nutrition tips and my mindset.”

Martin also helped her with a training program while she was on Aconcagua this season, something Mia considers “extremely helpful.”

Season 2024-25

“From the moment I landed in Mendoza in January 2025, things started to connect and flow,” she enthusiastically begins her account of her latest foray.

Mia faced the acclimatization stage in the village of Las Cuevas, Mendoza, at 3,100 meters above sea level.

There, at the Portezuelo del Viento establishment, before entering Aconcagua, she had the opportunity to train with Martín Erroz, one of the strongest endurance athletes in the region. “We did some climbs and ran in the Matienzo valley, which was spectacular! Then I went to train at Aconcagua,” adds Mia.

Following Martín Zhor’s protocol, she divided her time between the Plaza de Mulas base camp and camp 2, reaching 6,200 meters as the highest point in training.

The weather windows began to open in early February and she decided to start her new attempt at Aconcagua 360° on February 5.

“Everything was fine until I reached 6,200 meters, via Berlin, and I froze before the Independencia refuge, feeling weak and tired. On my way down, I met Karl Egloff, I told him I had no energy to continue with my project, and I almost burst into tears.” The immense Karl only replied: “But Mia, you are inspiring your girls, always remember that!” His words gave her the energy she needed to reach Camp 2.

The three guides also had their words of encouragement: “Mia, that was good training. Give it two days and then try again.”

With hardly any time to even process the information, Mia decided to descend to Mullas to rest. At the camp, more and more climbers encouraged her to continue: “I finally decided to call Martin Zhor to talk about trying again.”

On February 9th at 3 PM she began her new – and last – attempt.

“I reached the summit after 23 hours of effort from Horcones, with hail, rain and snow in Plaza de Mulas and from there I went up to higher camps.”

More snow, gusts of wind, slips and slides Mia had to endure on the way to the summit: “I was only wearing my running shoes and micro crampons. But the moment of the summit was divine, sunny and clear. Full of tears of joy.” The first big step has been taken.

Descent and glory

“It took me about three hours to get to Camp 3, as there was a medical emergency that I ended up being part of as a Serbian translator,” she continues.

It was all joy and excitement at the summit, but there were still another 80 km to the finish line. It was a long way down and an even longer way to link the two accesses to the Park via the highway. “But I did it!”

Martín Erroz was waiting for her at the entrance to the Vacas ravine with water and oranges: “Martín made sure I ran safely from the Vacas gate to the Horcones gate, driving in front of or behind me. I couldn’t have asked for a better teammate,” she adds gratefully.

Teamwork makes dreams come true, and Mia found this to be true. “I have had so many exceptional people on my side this season, I will cherish these moments forever. These moments are what these great projects really mean.”

After so many years of dreaming and preparing, her dream of completing the Aconcagua circumnavigation is a reality for Mia.

And while the sporting and physical achievement she has just completed is important to her, she repeatedly stresses that the biggest prize she is taking home in her suitcase is the friendship on the mountain: “Aconcagua has given me some of the best friendships, and friendships for life. The whole community is like no other! I feel at home being in the mountains among like-minded, passionate and adventurous people. It is a great privilege to be able to inspire each other.”

What's next for Mia Farrow?

“It's time to dream again. It's time to set new goals. It's time to get back to training. I can't wait to go back to Mendoza!”

And Mendoza and Aconcagua will continue to welcome Mia Farrow every time she decides to return.

The mother of three girls, the one who strives and excels, the one who perseveres.

She is the one who achieves her sporting goals, but also the one who most values ​​the friendships that last forever, those that are forged in the mountains.