Amador Conquers World's Highest Volcano After Injury
Canary Islands mountaineer Juan Diego Amador successfully climbed Ojos del Salado, the world's highest volcano, marking a recovery from injury and furthering his "Seven Volcanoes" project.
Juan Diego Amador has successfully climbed Ojos del Salado, the world's highest volcano, which stands at 6,890 meters above sea level. This achievement marks a significant recovery for Amador, who recently overcame a fascia tear in the sole of his foot. He sees this climb as a fresh start for his new projects.
Amador, the first and only person from the Canary Islands to climb Mount Everest (in May 2004), is thrilled to "keep dreaming" of major challenges.
Ojos del Salado is not only the world's highest volcano but also the highest point in Chile and the second-highest mountain in America. Its slopes are known for being extremely windy, and the final stretch to the summit presents a technical challenge. This extreme mountain is located in the Atacama Desert, a place long considered too harsh for humans. Life is scarce here due to very little rainfall and huge temperature swings, meaning only highly adapted organisms can survive.
From base camp, Amador described the climb as "harder than expected." He explained, "It's not just a very high mountain in the middle of a desert; you also need enough energy in the final meters to tackle the last wall." He called it a "beautiful and very dignified summit," offering views of the vast, dry Atacama Desert. Amador noted that the volcanic and arid landscape felt somewhat familiar to him, reminding him of his homeland in the Canary Islands.
The Atacama Desert is unique in many ways. It's considered the driest and oldest desert on Earth. It was in this wild, challenging, and special environment that Juan Diego Amador embarked on his latest adventure. This project stemmed from his "passion for adventure" and his "vocation as a geographer." He traveled there to "learn firsthand about this extraordinary ecosystem" and gather information to share upon his return.
Having already climbed four mountains over 8,000 meters and completed the "Seven Summits" project (the highest mountain on each continent), Amador has now turned his attention to extreme experiences in polar regions and adding peaks to his "Seven Volcanoes" project (the highest volcano on each continent). So far, he has climbed Kilimanjaro (Africa), Orizaba (North America), Sidley (Antarctica), Elbrus (Europe), Damavand (Asia), Giluwe (Oceania), and Ojos del Salado itself (South America). He still has four more volcanoes to complete the list.
Juan Diego ended his report by thanking Deporte Lagunero and Volcano Teide for their "invaluable help" in this project, which aims to promote the values of adventure and geographical knowledge.