Henrietta Carstairs


Henrietta Carstairs (1777/78 – after 1817)[1] was a British mountaineer and nanny. In 1817, she became the first person to climb the Sugarloaf Mountain in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

In 1817, Carstairs became the first person to climb the 395 metres (1,296 ft) Sugarloaf Mountain in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. On reaching the top of the mountain, Carstairs placed a Union Jack on the mountain. According to legend, a patriotic Portuguese person later replaced the Union Jack with a Portuguese flag.[1][2][3]


Brown mountain surrounded by water.
Sugarloaf Mountain, which Carstairs was the first person to climb.