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What is Mount Aconcagua made of?
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.
What is Mount Aconcagua famous for?
Aconcagua is one of the Seven Summits, the highest peaks on each of the seven continents. It is second in height after Mount Everest. The first known attempt to reach the mountain’s summit was made in 1883, but the attempt failed.
Is Aconcagua hard to climb?
You need experience walking in crampons and with the use of an ice axe but nothing more. However, the sheer height of Aconcagua, along with extremely cold temperatures on the mountain, make it a challenging ascent, even for accomplished mountaineers.
What does Aconcagua mean in Quechua?
Its name has roots in the indigenous Quechua language, the Quechua word Anco (white) and Cahuac (sentinel) and when translated means “The Sentinel of Stone”. Therefore, in this language the name Aconcagua would translate as “snow-capped mountain”.
What is the height of Mount Aconcagua?
22,837′
Aconcagua/Elevation
Is Climbing Aconcagua worth it?
THE CHOICE: Aconcagua. Aconcagua takes nearly two weeks more time to climb, so it’s definitely a much bigger time investment, and the weather conditions definitely can get more extreme. But the payoff of peering down at the surrounding, 20,000-foot peaks of the Andes makes it all worth it.
Can you climb Aconcagua without a guide?
Aconcagua is a serious high-altitude climb. Many people climb without a formal guide and contract with local agencies for mules or carry everything themselves. There are usually a lot of climbers on Aconcagua so you would probably not be alone but easily could be.
When did Aconcagua last erupt?
around 9.5 million years ago
The peak is of an extinct volcano, which last erupted around 9.5 million years ago in the Miocene.
What kind of rock is found on Aconcagua?
The main rock found on Aconcagua is grey in appearance with black specks. Its texture is not dissimilar to sandstone but it has been identified as a volcanic andesite, indicating that Aconcagua may have been volcanic in the past.
Where is Mount Aconcagua located in South America?
Mount Aconcagua, Spanish Cerro Aconcagua, mountain in western Mendoza province, west-central Argentina, on the Chilean border.
How tall is the highest peak of Aconcagua?
In 1883, the first known attempt on the highest of Aconcagua’s two summits, at 32°39’12.35″S, 70° 0’40.00″W, was by the German explorer, Paul Güssfeldt, who is credited with discovering the mountain. He made it to 21,520 feet but turned back in the face of a hurricane.
What are the names of the glaciers in Aconcagua?
Additional glaciers include the Upper Horcones Glacier, the Ventisqueros Güssfeldt Glacier and the Vacas Valley Glacier. In the past a series of important glaciers developed in the Confluencia area where huge ice bodies converged that were several kilometres originating from the Lower Horcones valley and the streams coming down from Tolosa (5450m).