NEW DELHI (PTI): In its quest to achieve a world record of conquering the tallest mountains of all seven continents, an Indian Air Force (IAF) team of five mountaineers has successfully scaled South America's highest peak, Mt Aconcagua, and returned home.

"The IAF team consisting of five air warriors has successfully returned after hoisting the Tricolour and the IAF flag on top of the highest peak of South American continent - Mt Aconcagua -- at 6,962 metres," an IAF press release said here Thursday.

The expedition was part of IAF's 'Mission Seven Summit' and the team had to negotiate long treks of eight to nine hours through the dry, treacherous, barren and dusty mountains, with strong winds and chill factor making movement difficult, it said.

The team was flagged in by Air Officer-in-Charge Administration (AOA) Air Marshal J N Burma at the IAF headquarters here.

Wing Commander R C Tripathi, the team leader, handed over the ice axe along with the Tricolor and the IAF flag to the AOA to mark the flag-in ceremony.

Other members of the expedition were Wg Cdr Jai Kishan, Sqn Ldr Namit Rawat, Junior Warrant Officers Nikku Choudhury and Suresh Pal.