Aconcagua

Cerro Aconcagua at 22,841 feet is the highest mountain in the Americas, and the highest mountain outside Asia. It is located in the Andes mountain range, 70 miles norht of the city of Mendoza and about 50 miles northeast of the capitol city of Chile, Santiago.

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 first attempt on Aconcagua by a European was made in 1883 by a party led by the German geologist and explorer Paul Güssfeldt. Bribing porters with the story that there was treasure on the mountain, he approached the mountain via the Rio Volcan, making two attempts on the peak by the north-west ridge and reaching an altitude of 21,300 feet.

The first recorded ascent was in 1897 on a British expedition led by Edward FitzGerald. The summit was reached by the Swiss guide Matthias Zurbriggen on January 14 and by two other expedition members a few days later.