Aconcagua

Mount Aconcagua (69° 59' West longitude and 32° 39' South latitude) is, with its 6,962 meters above sea level, the highest summit of the South Hemisphere as well as the highest peak of the world (not including Asia). It is one of "The Seven Summits", a mountaineering circuit which implies the challenge of reaching the top of the highest peaks of every continent.

The expedition to the Aconcagua offers different ascension routes. The normal route is the northwest one, which is considered technically simple since there is no need to use neither rock climbing techniques nor oxygen equipment. However, you must not forget that this is a 6,000 meter summit which has climate instability.

Another less frequented way of access is the Polacos Glacier route, which is of moderate difficulty and therefore requires ice climbing knowledge. This route offers an excellent training opportunity to prepare oneself for more complex and higher summits.

Perhaps the main challenge in the Aconcagua is ascending the amazing but very risky and difficult south wall, which is 3,000 meters high. Being one of the largest walls in the world, its ascension was not completed until 1954.

An excellent physical condition, an appropriate acclimatization and a good logistic service are necessary to have a successful ascension to the Aconcagua, which is also called Akon-Kauak (Stone Sentinel) in Quechua language.