Aconcagua

Aconcagua (Spanish pronunciation: [akoŋˈkaɣwa]) is a mountain in the Principal Cordillera of the Andes mountain range, in Mendoza Province, Argentina. It is the second-most topographically prominent peak in the world, as well as the highest mountain in the Americas, the highest outside Asia, and the highest in both the Western Hemisphere and the Southern Hemisphere, with a summit elevation of 6,967.15 metres (22,858.1 feet). It lies 112 kilometres (70 miles) northwest of the provincial capital, the city of Mendoza, about five kilometres (3.1 mi) from San Juan Province, and fifteen kilometres (9.3 mi) from Argentina's border with Chile. Aconcagua is one of the Seven Summits, the highest peaks on each of the seven continents.

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 Aconcagua Provincial Park. The mountain has a number of glaciers. The largest glacier is the Ventisquero Horcones Inferior at about ten kilometres (6.2 mi) long, which descends from the south face to about 3,600 m (11,800 ft) in elevation near the Confluencia camp. Two other large glacier systems are the Ventisquero de las Vacas Sur and Glaciar Este/Ventisquero Relinchos system at about five kilometres (3.1 mi) long. The best known is the northeastern or Polish Glacier, as it is a common route of ascent.