Aconcagua (Spanish pronunciation: [akoŋˈkaɣwa]) is a mountain in the Principal Cordillera[3] of

the Andes mountain range, in Mendoza Province, Argentina. It is the highest mountain in the
Americas, the highest outside Asia,[4] and the highest in the Southern Hemisphere[1] with a
summit elevation of 6,961 metres (22,838 ft). It lies 112 kilometres (70 miles) northwest of the
provincial capital, the city of Mendoza, about five kilometres (three miles) from San Juan
Province, and 15 km (9 mi) from Argentina's border with neighbouring Chile.[5] The mountain is
one of the so-called Seven Summits of the seven continents.

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 mountain has a number of glaciers. The largest glacier is the
Ventisquero Horcones Inferior at about 10 km (6 mi) long, which descends from the south face
to about 3,600 m (11,800 ft) in altitude near the Confluencia camp.[6] Two other large glacier
systems are the Ventisquero de las Vacas Sur and Glaciar Este/Ventisquero Relinchos system at
about 5 km (3 mi) long. The most well known is the north-eastern or Polish Glacier, as it is a
common route of ascent.

Contents
1 Etymology
2 Geologic history
3 Climbing
4 Camps
5 History
6 Dangers
7 Mythological meaning
8 See also
9 Notes
10 Bibliography
11 External links
Etymology
The origin of the name is uncertain. It may be from the Mapudungun Aconca-Hue, which refers
to the Aconcagua River and means "comes from the other side;"[5] the Quechua Ackon Cahuak,
meaning "'Sentinel of Stone;"[7] the Quechua Anco Cahuac, meaning "White Sentinel;"[2] or
the Aymara Janq'u Q'awa, meaning "White Ravine".[8]
Geologic history
See also: Andean Orogeny
The mountain was created by the subduction of the Nazca Plate beneath the South American
Plate. Aconcagua used to be an active stratovolcano (from the Late Cretaceous or Early
Paleocene through the Miocene) and consisted of several volcanic complexes on the edge of a
basin with a shallow sea. However, sometime in the Miocene, about 8 to 10 million years ago,
the subduction angle started to decrease, resulting in a stop of the melting and more horizontal
stresses between the oceanic plate and the continent, causing the thrust faults that lifted
Aconcagua up off its volcanic root. The rocks found on Aconcagua's flanks are all volcanic and
consist of lavas, breccias and pyroclastics. The shallow marine basin had already formed earlier
(Triassic), even before Aconcagua arose as a volcano. However, volcanism has been present in
this region for as long as this basin was around and volcanic deposits interfinger with marine
deposits throughout the sequence. The colorful greenish, blueish and grey deposits that can be
seen in the Horcones Valley and south of Puente Del Inca, are carbonates, limestones,
turbidites and evaporates that filled this basin. The red colored rocks are intrusions, cinder
deposits and conglomerates of volcanic origin.[9]

Climbing

From park entrance

In mountaineering terms, Aconcagua is technically an easy mountain if approached from the
north, via the normal route. Aconcagua is arguably the highest non-technical mountain in the
world since the northern route does not absolutely require ropes, axes, and pins.[10] Although
the effects of altitude are severe (atmospheric pressure is 40% of sea level at the summit), the
use of supplemental oxygen is not common. Altitude sickness will affect most climbers to some
extent, depending on the degree of acclimatization.[11] Although the normal climb is
technically easy, multiple casualties occur every year on this mountain (in January 2009 alone,
five climbers died).[12] This is due to the large numbers of climbers who make the attempt and
because many climbers underestimate the objective risks of the elevation and of cold weather,
which is the real challenge on this mountain. Given the weather conditions close to the summit,
cold weather injuries are very common.