On a bitterly cold December morning, Aritra Roy from Tripura began his journey to climb the fourth peak of the Seven Summits, the highest mountain peaks on each of the world’s seven continents.
Standing at 22,841 feet in Argentina’s Andes range, Mt. Aconcagua is the highest peak in South America and the tallest mountain outside of Asia. Though lower than Everest, Mt Aconcagua has a success rate of only about 30 per cent. During winter, temperatures plunge below zero degrees, wind speed reaches above 100 kmph, and high altitude presents constant challenges.
For Roy, however, the climb was a progression in his mountaineering journey. Having summited Mt. Everest in 2025 and Mt. Kilimanjaro (Africa) and Mt. Elbrus (Europe) in 2023, he had steadily built experience.
How it all began
An IT engineer by profession, Roy comes from a family of athletes. His father was a football coach, and Roy himself developed an early interest in sports. However, practical considerations led him to pursue a career in information technology, and he landed a job with a multinational corporation in Bengaluru.
Though physically fit and involved in adventure racing, Roy never considered pursuing mountaineering professionally — until the Covid pandemic hit.
With everything shut during the Covid lockdown, Roy turned to freehand exercises, running and cycling to stay fit. Having done some trekking before the pandemic, these exercises helped him build endurance and gave him the confidence to prepare for scaling the world’s highest peaks.
Recounting the choices before him, Roy says, “Climbing Mt. Everest isn’t a one-off feat. There must be some context. I had the option of climbing the seven highest peaks in the world, the seven highest volcanic peaks, or the 14 highest peaks. From a financial and practical point of view, I chose the first.”
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In many ways, Roy says, the pandemic helped him see his goals clearly.
After undertaking smaller mountaineering expeditions, Roy climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro and Mt. Elbrus in 2023.
But he soon realised the need for formal training. In 2024, he enrolled at the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute in Darjeeling and spent the year completing basic and advanced mountaineering courses.
Having scaled three major peaks already, Roy turned his attention to South America.
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The cost of climbing
High-altitude expeditions pose challenges that are not just physical but also financial. For instance, personal gear alone — down suits, boots, oxygen systems, masks, crampons, ice axes, helmets, layered clothing, and sleeping bags — can cost up to $15,000. Overall, expeditions to peaks like Mt Everest or Mt Aconcagua can cost anywhere between $40,000 and $100,000, making sponsorship necessary.
While Roy received support from the Assam Rifles, the BSF, and various private companies during his previous expeditions, his Aconcagua expedition was sponsored by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL).
The weather is not your friend
After obtaining the necessary permits, Roy took a bus from Mendoza to Puente del Inca on December 29, 2025, to begin the trek.
“On the first day, it was an eight-kilometre hike to Confluencia at a height of 3,340 metres,” Roy told indianexpress.com. “It was a slow hike because my rucksack weighed nearly 30 kilos. December 30 was an acclimatisation day.”
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Acclimatisation is important as air pressure and oxygen levels drop significantly at higher altitudes.
On December 31, after a seven-hour, 18-kilometre trek, Roy reached the base camp, known as Plaza de Mulas, at 4,350 metres.
The new year began with rotation cycles, a practice in which mountaineers ferry supplies to higher camps and return to the starting point, only to return the next day with the remaining gear. Often described as “climb high, sleep low,” the method allows the body to adapt to higher altitudes.
On January 1, 2026, Roy completed his first rotation to Camp 1 at 5,050 metres, with a 2.5-kilometre ascent. He moved permanently to Camp 1 the next day. “Finding water became an issue as there was very little snow to melt,” he says. “But that is what mountaineering is all about, it teaches us to become self-reliant and keep calm in adverse situations.”
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On January 3, it was time for a load ferry from Camp 1 to Camp 2. The mountaineers dropped a few supplies and returned to Camp 2 at 5,650 metres on January 4. January 5 was designated a rest day.
From January 6 onwards, the weather started deteriorating, with winds reaching 100 kmph.
“I kept checking the weather forecast for a summit window,” Roy says. “To my surprise, January 7 appeared to be the only viable day, with a feeble chance on the 8th. Faced with limited options, Roy decided to attempt a direct summit push from Camp 2, a 1,300-metre climb, instead of moving up to Camp 3 at 6,000 metres.
“It was doable as I had done (similar treks) in the past,” Roy says. Setting out at 3:30 am local time on January 7, he finally reached the summit at 2 pm (10:30 pm IST).
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What lies ahead
Roy sees this achievement as not just personal success, but a reflection of Atmanirbhar Bharat: proof that Indians and Indian institutions can be at the forefront of any challenge.
Speaking about his next plans, the techie-turned-mountaineer says he wants to explore a different kind of experience in Antarctica.
