Felipe Camargo, 29, inadvertently discovered climbing at 10 years old in a rec center in Ribeirão Preto, a Brazilian city four hours from São Paulo. Felipe went to the facility with his older brother, Bruno, to swim and play football and noticed a small climbing wall. A few months later, a climbing gym opened near him and he found his second home.
All in what would now be considered an archaic gym, Filipe developed strength, power and accuracy. By age 14, he won the Youth South American Championships in Guatemala. At 16, he won the Brazilian Championships, which he won four more consecutive years before he stopped competition climbing.
On rock he excelled further, becoming the first Brazilian to climb 5.15b and V15 boulders. He’s climbed one of the longest, hardest cave routes in the world with Alex Honnold, the 8-pitch 5.14b Corazón de Ensueño in China. Last summer, he climbed his hardest route, the 5.15b El Bon Combat in Oliana, Spain, which he dedicated to his late TNF teammate David Lama. Also in Spain, he’s repeated Chris Sharma's V15 Witness the Fitness. He authored the first V15 in his home country--Fortaleza on the São Paulo coast. With Sasha DiGuilian, he made the first free ascent of Pedra Riscada, known as the “Yosemite of Brazil”. Some of Felipe’s tattoos on his arms, hands and fingers represent these accomplishments. The world map on his right shoulder was his first.
In 2017, Felipe became a household name (and Instagram superstar) in Brazil after winning the sports-reality TV show Ultimate Beastmaster. Whether or not Brazilians were inspired by Felipe’s skills in the obstacle-based competition, rock climbing increased in popularity in Felipe’s country. The climbing gyms were so crowded in his home city of São Paulo, the seventh largest city in the world, that Felipe recently opened his own: the bouldering gym Fabrica Elsclada.
Felipe looks forward to a lifetime of routes in Spain, including the 5.15c Perfecto Mudo. In Switzerland, he has his eye on the V16 boulder problem Off the Wagon.
In July 2020, Felipe helped raise money for food kits for families in Sao Paulo struggling through the COVID-19 pandemic by climbing the height of Mt. Everest inside his local gym––in less than eight hours.
Accomplishments
- El Bon Combat 9b (5.15b)
- Logan 9a (5.14d) First Ascent
- Gancho Perfecto 9a+ (5.15a)
- Papichulo - 9a+ (5.15a)
- Ali hulk – 9a (5.14d)
- Era vella – 9a (5.14d)
- Los inconformistas – 9a (5.14d)
- Fortaleza 8C (V15) – First Ascent
- Catalan witness the fitness - 8C (V15)
- Libertadores - 8B+ (V14) – First Ascent
- The never ending story - 8B+ (V14)