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A professor at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) has summited the highest volcanic peaks of four continents in the last one year, with the latest being accomplished on October 24 when she successfully climbed Pico de Orizaba in Mexico – the highest volcanic peak in North America. Arpita Patra who is a professor at IISc’s Department of Computer Science and Automation has climbed the highest volcanic peaks of four continents: Mt. Kilimanjaro (5,895 meters), Africa in July 2024; Mt. Elbrus (5,642 meters), Europe in August 2024; Mt. Giluwe (4,367 meters) Oceania in May 2025; and Mt. Pico de Orizaba (5,636 meters) in North America. Childhood dream Prof. Patra who has been with the IISc since 2014, said that mountaineering was a childhood dream which she had not been able to pursue. “This was a childhood dream which I could not pursue earlier as I come from a very humble background and grew up in a very small village in West Bengal. Growing up, my focus was on completing my studies following which I pursued a career in academics. In 2024, I started my mountaineering journey when I summited Mt. Kilimanjaro and Mt. Elbrus. Following this, I did a course at the National Institute of Mountaineering and Adventure Sport in Arunachal Pradesh,” Prof. Patra told The Hindu. She said that summiting the Pico de Orizaba marks a major milestone in her mountaineering journey. Her journey to summit Pico de Orizaba started on October 19 and she completed it on October 24, along with her guide. Challenging climb “I had earlier climbed the highest mountains of three continents. Pico de Orizaba was, by far, the most challenging climb I have undertaken. The ascent was technically demanding, involving glacier travel and a relentless 45-degree incline up the conical volcanic slope. On summit day, we gained nearly 1,450 meters of elevation, climbing from 4,200 m to 5,636 m via the Jamapa Glacier route on the northern face. What makes this achievement particularly meaningful to me is that I am not a full-time mountaineer,” she said. In preparation for the expedition, Prof. Patra said that on a daily basis she followed a four hour workout routine which involved either running, cycling or swimming along with strength building exercises.
