 Aconcagua | |
|---|---|
 Aconcagua, January 2005 | |
| Elevation | 6,962 metres (22,841 ft) |
| Location | Argentina |
| Range | Andes |
| Prominence | 6,962 m (22,841 ft) Ranked 2nd |
| Coordinates | |
| First ascent | 1897 {Matthias Zurbriggen (first recorded ascent)[1] |
| Easiest route | scramble (North) |
Cerro Aconcagua is the highest mountain in the Americas, and the highest mountain outside Asia. In topography a summit is a point on a surface which is higher in Elevation than all points immediately adjacent to For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Argentina topics. A mountain range is a chain of Mountains bordered by highlands or separated from other mountains by passes or valleys The Andes form the world's longest exposed Mountain range. They lie as a continuous chain of highland along the western coast of South America. This is a list of Mountain peaks ordered by their Topographic prominence. A geographic coordinate system enables every location on the Earth to be specified in three coordinates using mainly a spherical coordinate system. In Climbing, a first ascent (FA is the first modern recorded climb to reach the top of a Mountain, or the first to follow a particular Climbing route Year 1897 ( MDCCCXCVII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common Matthias Zurbriggen ( 15 May 1856 in Saas-Fee – 21 June 1917 in Geneva) was one of the great nineteenth century Alpinists A climbing route is a path by which a climber reaches the top of a Mountain, rock or ice wall Scrambling (also known as alpine scrambling) is a method of ascending rocky faces and ridges This article describes extreme locations on Earth. Entries listed in bold are Earth-wide extremes The Americas are the lands of the Western hemisphere or New World, consisting of the Continents of North America and South America It is located in the Andes mountain range, in the Argentine province of Mendoza. The Andes form the world's longest exposed Mountain range. They lie as a continuous chain of highland along the western coast of South America. A mountain range is a chain of Mountains bordered by highlands or separated from other mountains by passes or valleys For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Argentina topics. Regions See also Geography of Argentina The country is also divided into six or seven regions (seven when The Pampas is divided into the Pampas' plains Mendoza is one of the 23 provinces of Argentina, located in the western central part of the country in the Cuyo region The summit is located about 5 kilometres from San Juan Province and 15 kilometres from the international border with Chile. Chile, officially the Republic of Chile ( Spanish:) is a country in South America occupying a long and narrow Coastal strip wedged between the It lies 112 km (70 mi) west by north of the city of Mendoza. Mendoza (men'dōzə is the capital city of Mendoza Province, in Argentina. Aconcagua is the highest peak in both the Western and Southern Hemispheres. The Western Hemisphere, also Western hemisphere or western hemisphere, is a geographical term for the half of the Earth that lies West Southern Hemisphere is the half of a Planet that is South of the Equator —the word hemisphere literally means 'half ball' It is one of the Seven Summits. The Seven Summits are the highest Mountains of each of the seven Continents Summiting all of them is regarded as a Mountaineering challenge first postulated
Aconcagua is bounded by the Valle de las Vacas to the north and east and the Valle de los Horcones Inferior to the West and South. The mountain and its surroundings are part of the Aconcagua Provincial Park. The Aconcagua Provincial Park is a provincial park located in the Andes Mountains, 180 kilometers west of the city of Mendoza Argentina. The mountain has a number of glaciers. "Glacial" and "Glaciation" redirect here For the geological periods see Glacial period. The most substantial are the north-eastern or Polish Glacier and the eastern or English Glacier. The Polish Glacier ( Spanish Glaciar de los Polacos) is one of the glacial fields of Cerro Aconcagua, the highest peak in the Andes.
The mountain was created by the subduction of the Nazca Plate beneath the South American plate during the geologically recent Andean orogeny; however, it is not a volcano. The Nazca Plate, named after the Nazca region of southern Peru, is an oceanic Tectonic plate in the eastern Pacific Ocean basin off the west South America is a Continent of the Americas, situated entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a Orogeny (Greek for "mountain generating" is the process of natural Mountain building and may be studied as a tectonic structural event as a geographical event and [2] The origin of the name is contested, it is either from the Arauca Aconca-Hue, which refers to the Aconcagua River and means 'comes from the other side' or the Quechua Ackon Cahuak, meaning 'Sentinel of Stone'. The Mapuche are the indigenous inhabitants of Central and Southern Chile and Southern Argentina. The Aconcagua River is a river in Chile that rises from the joint of two minor tributary rivers at above sea level in the Andes, Juncal river from the east (which Quechua ( Runa Simi) is a Native American language of South America.
Contents |
Climbing
In mountaineering terms, Aconcagua is technically an easy mountain if approached from the north, via the normal route. “Alpinist” redirects here See also Alpinist (magazine Mountaineering is the Sport, Hobby or Profession of Although the effects of altitude are severe (atmospheric pressure is 40% of sea-level at the summit), the use of supplemental oxygen is not required. Altitude sickness will affect most climbers to some extent, depending on the degree of acclimatization. Altitude sickness, also known as acute mountain sickness ( AMS) altitude illness, or soroche, is a pathological condition that is caused by acute Acclimatization is the process of an organism adjusting to chronic change in its environment, often involving temperature moisture food often relating to seasonal Climate
The second most frequented route is the Polish Glacier Traverse route. This approaches the mountain through the Vacas valley, ascends to the base of the Polish Glacier, then traverses across to the normal route for the final ascent to the summit.
The routes to the peak from the south and south-west ridges are more demanding and the south face climb is considered very difficult.
Before attempting the mountain climbers need to purchase a permit from the Aconcagua Provincial Park authority in Mendoza. Mendoza (men'dōzə is the capital city of Mendoza Province, in Argentina. Prices vary depending on the season.
The camp sites on the normal route are listed below. (altitudes are approximate)
- Puente del Inca, 2,740m (8,990ft): A small village on the main road, with facilities including a lodge. Puente del Inca, Spanish for "the Inca's Bridge" is a Natural arch that forms a bridge over the Vacas River a tributary of the Mendoza River
- Confluencia, 3,380m (11,090ft): A camp site a few hours into the national park.
- Plaza de Mulas, 4,370m (14,340ft): Base camp, claimed to be the second largest in the world (after Everest). Mount Everest, also called Sagarmatha (सगरमाथा meaning Head of the Sky) or Chomolungma, Qomolangma or Zhumulangma (in There are several meal tents, showers and internet access. There is a lodge 500 metres from the main campsite.
- Plaza Canadá, 5,050 metres (16,570 ft): A large ledge overlooking Plaza de Mulas.
- Plaza Alaska, 5,200 metres (17,060 ft): Called 'change of slope' in Spanish, a small site as the slope from Plaza de Mulas to Nido de Cóndores lessens. Not commonly used.
- Nido de Cóndores, 5,400 metres (17,720 ft): A large plateau with beautiful views. There is usually a park ranger camped here.
- Berlín, 5,900m (19,360ft): The usual high camp. Windy and exposed, and quite filthy. Many climbers avoid it, and stay slightly higher at Piedras Blancas.
It is common to spend at least one night in Confluencia while trekking to base camp in order to acclimatise properly. Summit attempts are usually made from a high camp at either Nido de Cóndores or Berlín. Although Berlín is closer to the summit, many climbers find that they rest better at Nido and are able to make up for the lost time. Some well-acclimatised climbers also pitch their high camp even further up the mountain, at Piedras Blancas (~6,000m) or near Independencia (~6350m).
History
The first attempt on Aconcagua by a European was made in 1883 by a party led by the German geologist and explorer Paul Güssfeldt. Dr Paul Güssfeldt ( 14 October 1840 – 18 January 1920) was a German geologist mountaineer and explorer Bribing porters with the story that there was treasure on the mountain, he approached the mountain via the Rio Volcan, making two attempts on the peak by the north-west ridge and reaching an altitude of 6,500 metres (21,300 ft). The route that he prospected is now the normal route up the mountain.
The first recorded[1] ascent was in 1897 on a British expedition led by Edward Fitzgerald. Year 1897 ( MDCCCXCVII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common The summit was reached by the Swiss guide Matthias Zurbriggen on January 14 and by two other expedition members a few days later. Matthias Zurbriggen ( 15 May 1856 in Saas-Fee – 21 June 1917 in Geneva) was one of the great nineteenth century Alpinists Events 1129 - Formal approval of the Order of the Templar at the Council of Troyes.
The youngest person to reach the summit of Aconcagua was Jordan Romero of Big Bear Lake, California. He was 11 years old when he reached the summit on December 30, 2007. [3]
Popular culture
The mountain has a cameo in a 1943 Disney cartoon called Pedro. [4] The cartoon stars an anthropomorphic small airplane named Pedro who is compelled to make an air mail run over the Andes and has a near-disastrous encounter with Aconcagua. Anthropomorphism is the attribution of uniquely Human characteristics to non-human creatures and beings natural and supernatural phenomena material states and objects The mountain (also anthropomorphic, and scary-looking), later appeared in an illustration used in a retelling of the story in a Disney anthology book.
See also
Notes
- ^ a b The possibility of a previous ascent, even a precolumbian ascent, cannot be discounted, although no definitive evidence of such an ascent exists. Mendoza is one of the 23 provinces of Argentina, located in the western central part of the country in the Cuyo region Las Heras is a city in the province of Mendoza, Argentina, located in the north of the Metropolitan area of the provincial capital (Greater The pre-Columbian era incorporates all period subdivisions in the history and prehistory of the Americas before the appearance of significant European influences Animal remains have been found high on the mountain, and peaks almost as high as Aconcagua, such as Llullaillaco, were ascended for ceremonial purposes in Inca times. Llullaillaco is a Stratovolcano at the border of Argentina ( Salta Province) and Chile.
- ^ Simkin, T. and Siebert, L. (2002-). What is the world's highest volcano? Smithsonian Institution, Global Volcanism Program. Accessed 28 November 2007. For the town in Argentina, see 28 de Noviembre. Events Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century.
- ^ Website of sponsor
- ^ IMDb page: Pedro
External links
- Aconcagua on TierraWiki.org: Trails, Trip Reports, and GPS Routes
- Aconcagua on summitpost.org
- Daily time lapse animations of the Aconcagua base camp Webcam
- Highest peaks on peakware.com
- Trip report, 2003-2005
- Trip report, 2004
- Trip report, 2002
- Trip report, 1997
- Trip report, 1996
- Trip report, 1993
- Cordillera de los Andes (in Spanish)
- Aconcagua info at andes.org.uk
Dapyx Software network: MP3 Explorer | Ebook Manager | Zenithic