When you see a staggering summit in Argentina’s Mendoza province, believe it to be Mount Aconcagua. With a formidable height of 6,962 meters, it is the second tallest peak in the world outside Asia. Aconcagua elevation is beautifully challenging for all levels of climbers because of its unpredictable situations and unrevealed surprises. For those who really want to conquer Cerro Aconcagua, this is the ultimate guide. You’ll learn here five things about climbing Mount Aconcagua. Test your knowledge by reading this article and test your physique by climbing this Andean king afterward.
1. Aconcagua’s Geography
To locate Aconcagua exactly, head 70 miles towards the northwest of Mendoza in the Andes Mountains Ranges, nine miles away from the Chilean border. Although it’s a volcanic originated mountain, it’s not an active volcano itself. It has two peaks – North and South, bridged by Cresta del Guanaco ridge. The elevation of its northern peak is debatable to date between 22,831 feet to 22,840 feet. Whereas the southern peak elevates at 22,736 feet above the sea level.
2. Climate And Other Conditions
Every step higher on Aconcagua is a war with a relative 60% lesser oxygen level. You cannot avoid the higher altitude of Aconcagua before climbing it. Robust winds and storms are the regular guests on Aconcagua. Even if a few clouds pop up the mountain, that means there’s a mighty storm arriving. The favorable season to scale Aconcagua is between November and February, December and January being the high season months. You can get great help from guides and burros during the high season compared to any other time in the year.
3. Hiking Trails
Most of the climbers surmount Aconcagua through ‘Normal Route’ as it’s quite easy. The ‘Polish Glacier Route’ is the second preferred trail by the climbers who want to tackle Aconcagua with a little difficulty. 90% of the total hikers trail on the former route, while the rest 10% only favors the 360 Polish Traverse route.
4. Its Difficulty Level
To estimate Mount Aconcagua’s difficulty level, we could compare it with Tanzania’s Kilimanjaro mountain. While the success rate of reaching the summit at Kilimanjaro is 90%, the same is 40% for Aconcagua. All-level climbers ascend Aconcagua each year, but its high altitude is quite a challenge for everyone.
5. How To Get Ready For Aconcagua?
For climbing a majestic mountain like Aconcagua, training and preparation demands are hefty. Besides intense aerobic training, a climber must have strength and fitness coaching, too. One must also be ready for flexibility coaching and master climbing conditioning. At times, you might have to carry loads worth 2-25 kg on your back!
Conclusion
For fulfilling the desire of ascending a towering peak like Aconcagua, you must train well. Keep faith in your passion, research in advance for a better hiking experience, and persistently climb every day. With a continuous mounting for 18 to 20 days, you’ll surely be on the summit of your dreams!