An unprecedented deed has just been written in the mountains of the Peruvian South. The Cusqueño Thomas Schilterjust 22 years old, it became the first athlete to conquer, in less than 30 hours and without any vehicle assistance, the three most emblematic volcanoes of Arequipa: Misti (5,822 m), Chachani (6,057 m) and Pichu Pichu (5,664 m).
Montañista, ultramarathonist and parapentist, Schilter completed what he baptized as “The impossible trilogy”a 90 -kilometer route that included more than 5,500 meters of positive slope, linking each volcano on foot and running base based on base. “The hardest thing was not the climb, but to go from the base from one to the other. That’s where you face yourself,” he said.
The challenge was born in November 2024, when, from the slopes of the Misti, Thomas wondered if it was possible to upload the three giants in one day. In six weeks he designed logistics with his father, trusting in an ultralight technical team and in his physical resistance to withstand extreme temperatures and lack of paths.
A life marked by the summits
Raised in the Sacred Valley of Cusco, Thomas grew under the influence of his father, architect and paragliding pilot, who transmitted the passion for the mountain. At 10, he asked as a gift to climb the snowy chicón, and since then he did not stop adding feats. At 16 he had already made history by climbing the Siula Grande (6,345 m) For a new route, a mountain with just 15 registered promotions.
Today adds more than 60 conquered peaks, 21 completed ultramarathons And the first paragliding flight from the top of the Ausangate. It also holds the record as the only Peruvian to cover 430 km in free flight.
The feat and what is coming
Other athletes had climbed the three volcanoes, but always with vehicular support. Schilter did it “old”: only with the strength of his legs. The feat will be narrated in the documentary “The trilogy of volcanoes”produced by The North Facewhich seeks to inspire new generations to value Peruvian nature and dare to break limits.
The young adventurer also projects new goals: he dreams of winning the Ultra-Trail du Mont Blanc (UTMB)the most prestigious mountain race in the world, and overcome the barrier of the 500 km in paragliding.
“It is never too late to plan something big. That nobody has done it before it is not easy, but not that it is impossible”, Underline the mountaineer, convinced that his record is just the beginning of a sports and human legacy.
