Published September 16, 2026 03:27PM
The family of missing trail runner Kalie McCrystal is breaking their silence after her September 1 disappearance on the Matterhorn. In a statement sent to Outside, Wendy Cooper and Jody McCrystal, Kalie’s mother and sister, said they now believe she fell while descending the peak.
“Despite Kalie’s exceptional skill and experience in technical mountain terrain, including her previous experience on the Matterhorn itself, everything we now know suggests she fell while descending,” the family wrote. “This is not the outcome any of us had hoped for, and it is very difficult to accept.”
The family’s statement comes eight days after authorities in Italy called off the search for McCrystal without finding any trace of her or her remains.
Inside McCrystal’s Disappearance
McCrystal, 38, vanished during a reconnaissance run ahead of her attempt to set a new speed record. She reached the Matterhorn summit at an elevation of 14,682 feet on September 1 and was last seen descending, her friend and fellow runner Hillary Gerardi previously told Outside.
An international search effort was shortly launched and included experts from Italy’s Guardia di Finanza mountain rescue team, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), aerial drones, and witnesses on the ground, including Gerardi.
“Despite the efforts of so many over the past weeks, the search has not led us to Kalie. This is not the outcome any of us had hoped for, and it is very difficult to accept,” McCrystal’s family wrote.
McCrystal planned to take on Karina Anderson’s previous record of 5 hours, 14 minutes, and 53 seconds, set on August 9. Her September 1 outing was a recon mission on Lion Ridge, the main route to the summit from the Italian side, and she wanted to run it in under five hours, Gerardi said.
The Matterhorn sits at an elevation of 14,692 feet directly on the border between Switzerland and Italy in the Pennine Alps. It’s a premier objective for mountaineers—roughly 3,000 climbers reach the top every year. Around six people die annually, according to the Zermatt Tourism Board in Switzerland. Modern records suggest the mountain has claimed around 600 people in the last 160 years.
“While we desperately wish we could have found her, we find peace in knowing that she was doing what made her feel most alive until her very last moments, and that she remains among the mountains where she felt most at home,” her family wrote.
The Family’s Full Statement
It has been two weeks since our dearest Kalie went missing during a reconnaissance on the Matterhorn.
Since then, the Guardia di Finanza mountain rescue team has worked tirelessly to explore every possible avenue at their disposal. They have been unwavering in their professionalism, kindness, and commitment to finding Kalie. As a family, it has meant a great deal to us throughout the search to know that everything that could be done was being done. We are eternally grateful to them. We also wish to extend our gratitude to the RCMP and the Canadian Embassy for their support and assistance during this time.
The outpouring of love and support for Kalie has been nothing short of incredible. The constant support of Hillary Gerardi, who first raised the alarm about Kalie, has been indispensable to us. Friends and loved ones from around the world mobilized and went to remarkable lengths to help find her and bring her home. How beautiful it has been to witness the love that surrounded her.
The Matterhorn is as majestic as it is unforgiving. Despite Kalie’s exceptional skill and experience in technical mountain terrain, including her previous experience on the Matterhorn itself, everything we now know suggests she fell while descending.
Despite the efforts of so many over the past weeks, the search has not led us to Kalie. This is not the outcome any of us had hoped for, and it is very difficult to accept.
Kalie was an incredibly special person. She moved through life with equal parts determination and fun. Her absence will undoubtedly leave a huge hole in the communities she was so invested in, across Skyrunning, Squamish and beyond.
For our family, things will never be the same again. Kalie meant so much to us as a sister and daughter, and the loss of her is something we will carry with us forever.
While we desperately wish we could have found her, we find peace in knowing that she was doing what made her feel most alive until her very last moments, and that she remains among the mountains where she felt most at home.
Wendy Cooper and Jody McCrystal, Kalie’s mum and sister
