Ojos del Salado Feb 2022 – We have summited!
Hello from Copiapó, Chile! 🇨🇱
This is our third and final blog post for the 2022 Ojos del Salado Expedition, and we’re happy to announce: We reached the summit! ⛏️🌋
At 12:00 p.m. on March 10, Vinícius Vieira, Sergio Vahnovan, Javier Callupan, and I (Maximo Kausch) stood on top of Ojos del Salado — the highest volcano in the world, at 6,893 meters. The wind was light, the cold was intense, and the views were unforgettable.
🧗♂️ Summit Push – Cold, Wind, and Perseverance
We left Refugio Tejos (5,820m) at 4:00 a.m., and in just 3 hours, gained 700 meters of altitude. As the sun rose at 7:25 a.m., temperatures hovered around -28°C. The sunlight was a welcome relief, especially for Vinícius, who had lost feeling in some of his toes by that point.
We crossed the north face and entered the volcanic crater around 6,740m, where the wind intensified, gusting over 70 km/h. We sheltered on the eastern side of the mountain and reached the base of the summit ridge around 11 a.m. There, for the first time, the wind dropped almost completely — giving us a chance to warm up, hydrate, and eat before the final push.
The last section is technical and required rope work and scrambling on loose volcanic rock. At this altitude, even easy climbs become exhausting. Once we gained the final ridge, we were rewarded with sweeping views of the southern face of Ojos and the final 20-meter traverse to the true summit.
It was emotional. From the summit, we could see 24 different 6,000-meter peaks scattered across the Atacama. What a place!
🧭 Notable Achievements & Challenges
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Roseane Formenti reached 6,000 meters, but had to return to Refugio Tejos due to altitude sickness, accompanied by guide Humberto Câmara Jr.
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Izabel Reigada and Juan Schmidt also stayed at Tejos due to health precautions.
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All four descended to Refugio Atacama later that day and waited for the summit team to return.
Earlier in the expedition, on March 7, Roseane, Izabel, Vinícius, Arlindo, Sergio, Juan, Javier, and I reached the summit of Cerro Vicuñas (6,067m) as part of our acclimatization plan. What was meant to be a warm-up became a challenge of its own.
Special mention goes to Arlindo Zuchello, who at 66 years old, summited with the first group — showing that in high-altitude mountaineering, experience beats age.
Unfortunately, Fábio Uzeda, Édio Furlanetto, and Arlindo couldn’t continue the full itinerary due to altitude issues and descended to Copiapó on March 7 for safety and recovery.
🏕️ What Comes Next?
We’re now enjoying good food, rest, and a lot of hydration in Copiapó before prepping for our next expedition. Ojos del Salado once again delivered its mix of beauty, difficulty, and deep personal lessons.
📅 Want to Join Our Ojos del Salado 2026 Expedition?
If this story inspired you, now is the time to prepare for your own Ojos del Salado Expedition. At Andes Specialists, we’re proud to be a trusted Ojos del Salado organizer with deep experience guiding in the Atacama Desert.
👉 Learn more about the best time to climb Ojos del Salado
👉 Get our Ojos del Salado equipment checklist
👉 Contact us to reserve your spot for Ojos del Salado 2026
Thank you for following the journey, and congrats again to our international team of climbers. Until the next summit!
– Maximo Kausch
AndesSpecialists.com