The south face
Aconcagua's ice from the viewpoint.
Bernard Gagnon — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Bernard Gagnon — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Bernard Gagnon — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Bernard Gagnon — CC BY-SA 4.0
Aconcagua is the highest mountain in the Americas and in the world outside Asia, rising about 6,961 metres in the Andes west of Mendoza near the Chilean border. Aconcagua Provincial Park protects it and draws climbers from around the world in the southern summer; its northern route is counted among the highest non-technical climbs on earth, but the altitude makes it dangerous, and expeditions need special permits. For most visitors a day visit to the Horcones valley entrance is enough: an easy trail of about an hour past the small Horcones lagoon to a viewpoint on the mountain's glaciated south face, at close to three thousand metres. General San Martín crossed these mountains with his Army of the Andes in 1817 on the way to freeing Chile. The drive from Mendoza takes about three hours on National Route 7 through grand mountain scenery and is usually combined with the nearby Puente del Inca. The altitude can bring headaches and breathlessness, so walk slowly, drink water and bring warm clothes even in summer.
Aconcagua's ice from the viewpoint.
On the short trail.
Andean scenery.
National Route 7, about 185 km west of Mendoza city
Yes. The day visit to the Horcones valley is an easy trail of about an hour to a viewpoint on the mountain, with a ticket paid at the visitor centre.