The Mountain

At 22,841ft [6962m], Cerro Aconcagua lies on the Argentina-Chile border and is the highest mountain in Western Hemisphere, the highest mountain outside of Asia, and one of the Seven Summits. Over 4,000 mountaineers visit Aconcagua annually. Climbing season is from November 15 - March 15 with most climbers arriving in December and January. Most foreign visitors to Aconcagua arrive via Santiago, Chile or Buenos Aires.With 850,000 inhabitants, Mendoza is Argentina's fourth largest city. Mendoza is the largest wine-producing area in all of Latin America and is especially known for its malbec.All climbers must register with the Parque Provincial in Mendoza [746m or 2,448ft] to obtain a climbing permit. Aconcagua is a 3-4 hour drive from Mendoza. Visitors often acclimate at Puente de Inca or Los Penitentes for a night prior to beginning their trek. Climbers enter the park at Horcones [2955m or 9,695ft].It is a few hour walk to Confluencia [3415m or 11,204ft]. Many climbers spend 2 nights at Confluencia acclimatizing, often hiking to Plaza Francia [4200m or 13,780ft] for a day to get close views of the Horcones glacier and the South Face.The long day hike to Plaza de Mulas base camp [4365m or 14,321ft] is unprotected from the sun and wind. The second-largest base camp in the world (to Everest), at Plaza de Mulas climbers check in with park rangers and medical personnel. After a few days of acclimatizing, they proceed to the high camps of Canada [4950m or 16,241ft], Nido de Condores [5350m or 17,552ft], and Berlin or Cólera [5800m or 19,029ft] en route to the summit [6962m or 22,841ft].There are ranger stations at Horcones, Confluencia, Plaza de Mulas, and Nido de Condores. There are medical personnel at Confluencia and Plaza de Mulas.