Bengaluru techie braves -40 degrees Celsius to scale Argentina's highest peak: 'Humbling'

Aritra Roy dedicated the summit to 'everyone who dares to dream big,' reflecting his journey from Bengaluru’s tech corridors to the world’s highest mountains. (Representational image: Unsplash)

A Bengaluru techie, who had previously scaled Mount Everest, recently managed to climb the highest peak in Argentina after braving temperatures as low as -40°C, snowstorms, and blizzards during a 44-km trek.

On January 7, Aritra Roy stood atop Mount Aconcagua which -- at 6,967.1 metres -- is considered to be the highest peak outside Asia. Aconcagua is the tallest mountain in the Andes and the second-highest of the Seven Summits after Everest, the Times of India reported.  The climb is technically less complex than Everest but a climber has to endure one of the world’s harshest environments to reach the peak.

The expedition was fully sponsored by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), which hailed the achievement as a story of “determination and resilience.”

Despite the extreme conditions, Roy summited ahead of schedule and spent 45 minutes at the top before beginning his descent. Known as the “Stone Sentinel,” Aconcagua is less technically demanding than Everest but remains a formidable challenge due to its altitude and unpredictable weather.

In a message to HAL, Roy described the climb as a personal trial: “Ascending the Stone Sentinel, one gasp of thin Andean air at a time, was a test of faith and a humbling moment. The climb tested every ounce of my physical and mental strength, but by adapting and believing in my instincts, I overcame this toughest challenge yet.”

The software engineer dedicated the summit to “everyone who dares to dream big,” reflecting his journey from Bengaluru’s tech corridors to the world’s highest mountains. HAL CMD DK Sunil congratulated him, saying: “HAL is proud to have sponsored the expedition.”