Aconcagua

Cerro Aconcagua is the highest mountain in South America, the highest mountain outside Asia, the highest mountain in both theWestern and Southern Hemispheres, and one of the Seven Summits. It also has 22,841 feet of prominence, ranking 2nd in the world. It is located in the Andes mountain range, in the province of Mendoza, Argentina. The mountain and its surroundings are part of the Aconcagua Provincial Park. The mountain has a number of glaciers; the largest glacier is the Ventisquero Horcones Inferior at about 10 km long. In mountaineering terms, Aconcagua is technically an easy mountain if approached from the north via the normal route. The second most frequented route is the Polish Glacier Traverse route, also known as the "Falso de los Polacos" 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 third most popular route is the Polish Glacier itself. The routes to the peak from the south and south-west ridges are more demanding and the south face climb is considered very difficult. In all routes, th effects of altitude are severe with the atmospheric pressure only 40% of sea-level at the summit.