IISc professor becomes second Indian woman to summit world’s highest volcanic peak

A professor at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) has summited the Nevado Ojos del Salado, which is the highest volcanic peak in the world and the highest mountain in Chile.

By submitting to Nevado Ojos del Salado, which is 6,893 meters, on March 6, Arpita Patra, professor at IISc’s Department of Computer Science and Automation, became the second Indian woman to achieve this feat.

Challenging climb

Prof. Patra said that Ojos del Salado, located deep in the Atacama Desert, was by far the most challenging climb she has undertaken.

“The expedition took me to nearly 7000 meters, the highest altitude I have ever reached. Conditions were extremely cold and harsh. The ascent was long and exhausting, culminating in a technical rock-climbing section in the final 50 meters before the summit. With this climb, I became the second Indian woman to reach the summit,” Prof. Patra said.

Prior to this, she had climbed the highest volcanic peaks of four continents, which are Mt. Kilimanjaro (5,895 meters) in Africa, Mt. Elbrus (5,642 meters) in Europe, Mt. Giluwe (4,367 meters) in Oceania, and Pico de Orizaba (5,636 meters) in North America.

“This ascent marks a major milestone in my mountaineering journey. So far, I have climbed the highest volcanic peaks of five continents, and when I climbed Mt. Giluwe in May 2025, I became the first Indian woman to summit the peak and also became the second Indian woman to summit the Pico de Orizaba in October 2025,” she added.

Balancing act

“I am not a full-time mountaineer. My primary professional role is that of a full professor at the IISc. Balancing these two seemingly orthogonal pursuits, rigorous academic research and high-altitude mountaineering, has been both challenging and deeply fulfilling,” she said.

“In this journey, I have been fortunate to be guided by Satyarup Siddhanta, a renowned mountaineer who holds several records, including Guinness World Records,” she added.