A supportive and highly technical response prevented a tragedy in the southern peaks of Peru. German mountaineer Felix Fogelstaller (33 years old), a member of the alpine club DAV – Sektion Oberland, was rescued alive after suffering a serious accident at an altitude of 5,700 meters while descending the imposing Chachani volcano (6,057 m).
Fogelstaller was making the ascent independently and without the accompaniment of certified guides. During the descent, a severe injury to his right ankle (a suspected dislocation) left him completely immobilized and exposed to dangerous hypothermia due to the wind and extreme cold at that altitude.

The call for help and an improvised response to the extreme.

The emergency was transformed into a large-scale operation thanks to chance and Andean professionalism. At 10:00 a.m., the UIAGM Official Mountain Guide, Lucio Huayhua Paco, and the aspiring guide, Nilo Puma Achahui, who were descending with a group of tourists, heard the cries for help from the foreigner. After assessing him and noticing the progression of hypothermia, they formed a crisis committee high in the mountains:

• First Impact: Due to the lack of helicopters specialized in high-altitude rescue in Peru, the transfer was planned strictly by land.

• Ingenuity at High Altitudes: The initial team (the two Peruvian guides and two French citizens who joined as volunteers) made improvised stretchers using backpacks and ropes (a “sausage” technique) to move the Injured, taken out of the glacial zone to a safe point.

A mass evacuation across volcanic terrain

The rescue required impeccable logistical coordination, with reinforcements arriving throughout the hours in extremely hostile terrain characterized by loose sand, irregular slopes, and unstable rocks.

• 11:40 a.m.: A second support group arrived with 3 rescuers to relieve the physical effort of carrying the stretcher.

• A guide specializing in technical rescue and 3 more people joined the team for the final stretch to the vehicles.

• 17:30 h: After hours of precise descent, the team reached the transport point where the 4×4 vehicles were waiting.

Happy ending in Arequipa

Operation Summary: The mission was coordinated and technically supported by the Peruvian Andean Relief Association (S.A.P.), under the direction of its president, Eric. Raúl Albino Lliuya, demonstrating once again the effectiveness, ethics, and skill of local mountaineers in resolving critical situations in extreme environments.

From Global Mountain, we send a big round of applause to guides Lucio Huayhua and Nilo Puma, the French tourists, and all the SAP staff involved. Their professionalism saves lives!