Nevado Ojos del Salado – World’s highest volcano
Context
Arpita Patra, a professor at Indian Institute of Science, successfully summited Nevado Ojos del Salado on 6 March 2026.
With this, she became the second Indian woman to summit the world’s highest volcano.
The peak stands at 6,893 m and lies in the Atacama Desert.
Features of Nevado Ojos del Salado
Highest volcano in the world.
Located on the Chile–Argentina border in the Andes.
Elevation: 6,893 m above sea level.
Contains the highest permanent crater lake on Earth (~6,390 m).
The climb is challenging due to extreme cold, strong winds, and high altitude.
Part of a global volcanic peaks challenge
Before climbing Ojos del Salado, Patra had summited major volcanic peaks across continents:
Continent | Peak | Country |
Africa | Mount Kilimanjaro | Tanzania |
Europe | Mount Elbrus | Russia |
Oceania | Mount Giluwe | Papua New Guinea |
North America | Pico de Orizaba | Mexico |
Her climb of Mount Giluwe in May 2025 made her the first Indian woman to reach its summit, while her ascent of Pico de Orizaba in October 2025 made her the second Indian woman to achieve that feat.
Prelims facts (Geography)
Nevado Ojos del Salado (6,893 m) – highest volcano on Earth.
Located in the Andes Mountains on the Chile–Argentina border.
Situated in the Atacama Desert, one of the driest places on Earth.
Pico de Orizaba – highest volcano in North America.
Mount Kilimanjaro – highest mountain in Africa and a stratovolcano.
Prelims Practice MCQ
Q. Match the volcanic peaks with their continent:
List I (Peak) | List II (Continent) |
A. Mount Kilimanjaro | 1. Oceania |
B. Mount Giluwe | 2. Europe |
C. Mount Elbrus | 3. Africa |
D. Pico de Orizaba | 4. North America |
Codes
A. A-3, B-1, C-2, D-4
B. A-2, B-1, C-3, D-4
C. A-3, B-2, C-1, D-4
D. A-1, B-3, C-2, D-4
Answer: A
Explanation
Mount Kilimanjaro – Africa
Mount Giluwe – Oceania (Papua New Guinea)
Mount Elbrus – Europe (Russia, Caucasus region)
Pico de Orizaba – North America (Mexico)