Everyone who reached the 1365 m high summit of Cerro el Carbón. No plasma but plenty of confinement (of snacks).
This past Friday, April 3rd, our UC Tokamaks group traded data streams for panoramic views. We set out early to climb Cerro el Carbón (1,365 m), one of Santiago’s classic viewpoints overlooking the city and the Andes.
No plasma shots, no remote operation interfaces. Just boots on the ground, a steady pace, and conversations with significantly better oxygen levels at the top.
The climb wasn’t technical, but demanded constant effort, patience, and the occasional “how much longer until the summit?” There was trivia, some getting lost and some aftermath of sore muscles. In other words, not too different from a day of tokamak research troubleshooting. Reaching the summit around midday, we took in the city below and the mountain range ahead, a good reminder that fusion research is also about perspective: thinking long-term, working together, and enjoying the climb as much as the result.
Good science comes from people who trust each other, whether aligning a plasma scenario or finding the best route up a rocky slope. We work seriously on fusion energy and remote tokamak analysis. But we also plan to continue taking days off sometimes to touch the sky.
Next target: better confinement, higher mountains. In that order.
As you set out for Ithaka
hope your road is a long one.
— C. P. Cavafy