Mount Aconcagua reaches 6,961 metres above sea level, the tallest peak in both the Western and Southern Hemispheres. The mountain's name derives from the Quechua Ackon Cahuak, meaning Stone Sentinel, though alternative etymologies trace it to the Mapudungun Aconca-Hue, Place of the Other Side.
Ferdinand Magellan's crew first documented the peak in 1520 during their circumnavigation, but it was not until 1897 that Swiss climber Matthias Zurbriggen reached the summit via the northern route, now known as the Ruta Normal. The mountain sits within Aconcagua Provincial Park, established in 1983 to protect 71,000 hectares of high-altitude wilderness along the Argentine-Chilean border.
Today, Aconcagua day tours from Mendoza provide access to Horcones Lagoon, a glacial lake at 2,950 metres elevation that reflects the mountain's south face. The park's entrance at Horcones opens daily from 08:00 to 18:00, requiring a 10,000 ARS conservation fee per visitor. The access road, Ruta Nacional 7, parallels the route of the defunct Transandine Railway, completed in 1910 and abandoned after a 1934 avalanche. At kilometre 1,208, the Puente del Inca — a natural travertine bridge spanning the Vacas River — served as a thermal spa until flooding destroyed its hotel in 1965. The structure's ochre and rust strata result from mineral deposits accumulated over 2,600 years.
The Andes mountain tour corridor between Mendoza and the Chilean border encompasses multiple ecological zones. Lower elevations support espinillo and jarilla shrublands, while higher slopes give way to cushion plants and perennial grasses adapted to arid conditions. Guanacos graze on sparse vegetation near Laguna Horcones, and Andean condors, with wingspans exceeding three metres, ride thermal currents above the valleys. The park's climate oscillates between sub-zero nights and afternoon temperatures that can reach 18°C during summer months. Snow cover persists year-round above 5,000 metres, and the Horcones Glacier feeds the lagoon's turquoise waters. Climbers attempting the summit depart from Plaza de Mulas base camp at 4,300 metres, but day-trippers remain within the lower valleys, accessing viewpoints that frame Aconcagua's south face against the Cordillera Principal's serrated ridgeline. The mountain's profile, visible from distances exceeding 100 kilometres on clear days, anchors the region's trekking infrastructure and remains the primary draw for visitors traversing the High Andes route.
12 hr
