Height 6,962 masl
With a height of 6,962 meters ( 22,965 feet ) this Argentine mountain is the tallest in the Western hemisphere. Its coordinates are 69’59” W and 32’39” S.
The Province of Mendoza created Aconcagua Provincial Park in 1983. The boundaries of this area are defined by Valle de los Horcones to the west/south-west and by Valle de las Vacas to the east and north.
The word Aconcagua has its origin in two of the local indigenous languages: from the Aymará Kon-Kawa meaning ‘snow covered mountain’ and the Quechua Akon-Kahuak meaning ‘centennial of stone’.
After attempts by different parties, Aconcagua was first climbed in 1897 by the Swiss guide Mattias Zubriggen. By now there are more than 30 different routes to the summit all of varied difficulty. The Normal route ascends the northeast face of the mountain. Over the years climbers have formed a serpentine path that frees us from technical difficulties, but not so from the effects of the altitude, wind and cold that can jeopardize our well-being.
The mountain’s two peaks are connected by the one-kilometer long filo de guanaco (‘ridge of the guanacos’), which marks the end of the 3,000-meter ( 9,900 ft ) South wall. This enormous wall, covered in ice, rock and snow, is one of the most challenging mountaineering objectives among all the classic routes the world over.
To enter Aconcagua Provincial Park , be it to climb the mountain or simply for trekking, one must purchase the corresponding permit at the office of the Department of Renewable Natural Resources (Dirección de Recursos Naturales Renovables). You will be made to fill out a form with all of your personal information and to pay a permit fee, different for each kind of permit and each period of the climbing season.
The climbing permit allows you to remain in the Park for 20 days while the long and short trekking permits give you 7 and 3 days respectively. These last two kinds of permits allow you to go only as high as base camp. To attempt the peak the 20-day climbing permit must be purchased irrelevant of how fast you plan to climb the mountain. Argentine citizens receive a 50% discount on all permits.
The tendency of the park officials is to improve the protection of the Park’s ecosystem and the services offered to the visitor.
Examples of this are free medical attention in Plaza de Mulas and Plaza Argentina and a permanent rescue team.
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