Aconcagua
From Encyclopædia
{ah-kohn-kah'-gwah} Mount Aconcagua is a peak in the Andes Mountains in Argentina near the Chilean border and about 88 km (55 mi) north-northeast of Santiago. It is the highest peak in the Western Hemisphere, rising 6,960 m (22,834 ft) above sea level and a total of 12,954 m (42,500 ft) above the deep ocean trench off the nearby coast of Chile. The peak was first scaled in 1897 by Mattias Zurbriggen, a Swiss climber.Aconcagua's west and northwest sides are gently sloped, windswept, and covered with loose rock. The steeper south and southwest sides are mainly clear of snow and ice except for a glacier flanked by mountain spurs. The mountain is located in a region of frequent earthquakes. Its treacherous climate, with temperatures as low as -25 deg C (-13 deg F) and strong winds, makes it difficult to climb.
