In Argentina, two French climbers struggling in the Andes have been rescued

An Argentine rescue team had been searching for them since Sunday. On Monday, December 27, local authorities announced that French climbers, struggling in the Nevado Ojos del Salado region, an Andean volcano that peaks at 6,891 meters above sea level, have been found unharmed.

The mountaineers, who climbed this prized summit, considered the highest volcano in the world, from the city of Viambala (1,357 kilometers northwest of Buenos Aires), sent a distress signal via satellite this weekend in difficult weather conditions. A team of rescuers set out in the high mountains on Sunday afternoon.

The two Frenchmen were discovered, at an altitude of about 5,600 meters above sea level, just above the makeshift camp the rescue team had set up on Sunday night, before searches resumed in the early hours of Monday.

There are two climbers ” Health problems [déshydratation] makes sense given the difficult context they have to face, but without significant risks to their safety”, the Department of Security of the province of Catamarca explained through its Facebook account. They were taken to an intermediate base camp at Cortaderas (about 3,300 m above sea level) and were to arrive overnight at Fiampala (1,500 m), where ‘They will receive all necessary attention’According to the Ministry of the Region and Civil Defense.

“Difficult” climatic conditions

The search began on Sunday against the background “Difficult weather conditions, with heavy rains and hailstorms in the high mountains”According to the Catamarca Provincial Police.

Rescuers established that the French group initially consisted of three men, one of whom turned around due to problems with acclimatization to the altitude, while the other two continued to climb. The climber who descended was ” In good health “According to the county police.

According to local media, the French climbers reached Fiampala last week. They had to make the climb to the summit of Nevado Ojos de Salado, on the Chile-Argentina border, by the route known as Quebrada de Quimadito, 3,400 meters above sea level initially, which required at least ten days of hiking. .