From the Cordillera Negra to Annapurna

Some lives seem destined to be told — and that of Cesar Rosales Chinchay is one of them.

A story that begins in a small village high in the Peruvian Andes and rises all the way to the world’s highest peaks, driven by a simple yet powerful dream: to never stop climbing.

Cesar was born in 1982 in Poyor, a tiny village perched over 3,000 meters above sea level, in the heart of the Cordillera Negra.

His childhood was made up of fields, animals, and long days shaped by the rhythm of agricultural work. His future seemed already written: to become a farmer, like his father and brothers.

And yet, even among those dry, silent slopes, something in him was always looking higher.

Every day, to reach school, he would walk three hours on foot. That daily journey became his first mountain — teaching him perseverance, endurance, and the quiet beauty of reaching a goal.

The encounter that changed everything

Through education, Cesar came into contact with the Don Bosco Mato Grosso Project, which in 2000 had opened a UIAGM mountain guide school in Marcara.

For him, it wasn’t just an opportunity — it was a window to a new world.

Years of farm work had given him a strong, resilient body and a deep respect for nature — the perfect foundation for someone dreaming of a life in the mountains.

He passed the selection and began the three-year training program, earning in 2003 the title of UIAGM International Mountain Guide.

From that moment on, his life took a new direction — from the soil of the fields to the snow of the summits.

The mountains of the world

Over the years, Cesar has guided expeditions on some of South America’s most iconic peaks: Alpamayo, Huascarán, Aconcagua, Chimborazo, Sajama, Huayna Potosí, and Ojos del Salado.

Then came the leap to the Himalayas, where he faced legendary mountains like Nanga Parbat.

From the slopes of the Cordillera Negra to the ridges of the Himalaya, his story is that of someone who started with little but dreamed big — a path built on passion, sacrifice, and gratitude.

A dream called Annapurna

On April 6, 2025, at 10:00 a.m., Cesar Rosales reached the summit of Annapurna (8,091 m) — solo, and without supplemental oxygen.

It was the culmination of a 25-year dream.

Annapurna, known as the Goddess of Abundance, is considered one of the world’s most dangerous 8,000-meter peaks. Cesar had first “met” this mountain at 17 years old, when, as a young Andean farmer, he began dreaming of becoming a mountain guide and alpinist.

Twenty-five years later, he found himself face to face with that same mountain — determined to climb it alone.

The year 2025 brought particularly harsh conditions: unpredictable weather, extreme cold, unstable ice. Yet Cesar completed an extraordinary ascent, fast, clean, and deeply respectful — as he likes to say, “always with great respect for the mountain.”

It was an achievement that spoke not only of strength and determination but also of humility — the story of a man who doesn’t challenge mountains, but listens to them.