South America / Principal Cordillera
Aconcagua
Argentina · 6,961 m
Photo credits and licence
Bjørn Christian Tørrissen · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Aconcagua2016. Preview cropped from the top.Source credit: Own work by uploader, http://bjornfree.com/
Any adaptation of a ShareAlike image remains under its linked licence.
Source-linked route information · coverage incomplete
Continue with a planning or regional guide: Andes mountain guide
About Aconcagua
The highest summit in South America. The commonly quoted elevation shown here is approximate; source measurements vary.
Geographic source notes
Wikidata description: highest mountain in both the Southern and the Western Hemispheres (6967 m). Imported context (CC0); retrieved 2026-10-05, not independently reviewed.
This profile includes selected editorial climbing references.
Mountain facts
- Elevation
- 6961 metres above sea level
- Country / territory
- Argentina
- Mountain range
- Principal Cordillera
- Range assignment
- Source-linked Wikidata statement · 2026-10-05
- Summit coordinates
- -32.6532, -70.0109 · View summit on OpenStreetMap
Routes and variants
8 source-linked entries · research checked 2026-10-05. The inventory remains incomplete.
Documented information and open research
Starting point: 3 of 8 · Difficulty with grading system: 0 of 8 · Elevation gain: 0 of 8 · Duration: 0 of 8 · Season: 0 of 8
5 historical entries. These counts describe published entries, not all possible routes. Current access is not established.
See route research coverage and priorities →Compare 8 routes
Grades retain their published rating system; different systems and historical grades are not equivalent. Elevation gain means climbing metres, not summit altitude. Missing figures are not estimated.
Scroll sideways to compare all columns. Select a route name for its details.
| Route | Activity / direction | Difficulty / system | Starting point | Elevation gain | Duration | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Normal / northwest route | AlpinismAscent | Not documented | Plaza de Mulas · base-camp route start | Not documented | Not documented | Source 1 ↗ |
| Direct Polish Glacier | AlpinismAscent | Not documented | Plaza Argentina · base-camp route start | Not documented | Not documented | Source 1 ↗ |
| Falso Polacos / 360° traverse | AlpinismTraverse | Not documented | Plaza Argentina · base-camp route start | Not documented | Not documented | Source 1 ↗ |
| French south-face lineHistorical listing · 1954 | AlpinismClimbing line | Not documented | Not documented | Not documented | Not documented | Source 1 ↗ |
| Argentine south-face variantHistorical listing · 1966 | AlpinismClimbing line | Not documented | Not documented | Not documented | Not documented | Source 1 ↗ |
| Messner south-face variantHistorical listing · 1974 | AlpinismClimbing line | Not documented | Not documented | Not documented | Not documented | Source 1 ↗ |
| Argentine southeast ridgeHistorical listing · 1978 | AlpinismClimbing line | Not documented | Not documented | Not documented | Not documented | Source 1 ↗ |
| Southwest ridgeHistorical listing · 1979 | AlpinismClimbing line | Not documented | Not documented | Not documented | Not documented | Source 1 ↗ |
Choose an activity to see its entries. Ascent, descent, approaches and historical climbing lines are labelled separately.
Alpinism (8)
Normal / northwest routeAlpinism · Ascent
The park regulations identify the normal corridor and its designated high camps.
- Activity
- Alpinism
- Direction / role
- Ascent
- Starting point
- Plaza de Mulas · base-camp route start
- Difficulty
- Not established from the checked source
- Elevation gain
- Not established from the checked source
- Duration
- Not established from the checked source
- Season
- Not established from the checked source
- Current access
- Not checked for current use
Mendoza · Aconcagua use regulations · source checked 2026-10-05
The source establishes a route listing. Detailed navigation, current protection and conditions require the original reference.
Direct Polish GlacierAlpinism · Ascent
A glacier ascent distinguished from the traverse in the park regulations.
- Activity
- Alpinism
- Direction / role
- Ascent
- Starting point
- Plaza Argentina · base-camp route start
- Difficulty
- Not established from the checked source
- Elevation gain
- Not established from the checked source
- Duration
- Not established from the checked source
- Season
- Not established from the checked source
- Current access
- Not checked for current use
Mendoza · Aconcagua use regulations · source checked 2026-10-05
The source establishes a route listing. Detailed navigation, current protection and conditions require the original reference.
Falso Polacos / 360° traverseAlpinism · Traverse
The regulations distinguish the connection to the normal route from the direct glacier line.
- Activity
- Alpinism
- Direction / role
- Traverse
- Starting point
- Plaza Argentina · base-camp route start
- Difficulty
- Not established from the checked source
- Elevation gain
- Not established from the checked source
- Duration
- Not established from the checked source
- Season
- Not established from the checked source
- Current access
- Not checked for current use
Mendoza · Aconcagua use regulations · source checked 2026-10-05
The source establishes a route listing. Detailed navigation, current protection and conditions require the original reference.
French south-face lineAlpinism · Climbing line · archive 1954
Historical ascent record; present access and route condition have not been established.
- Activity
- Alpinism
- Direction / role
- Climbing line
- Starting point
- Not established from the checked source
- Difficulty
- Not established from the checked source
- Elevation gain
- Not established from the checked source
- Duration
- Not established from the checked source
- Season
- Not established from the checked source
- Current access
- Not checked for current use
Mendoza · Aconcagua management-plan proposal, volume I · source checked 2026-10-05
Historical listing; a route name or old grade does not confirm the current line, protection or completion.
Argentine south-face variantAlpinism · Climbing line · archive 1966
Historical ascent record; present access and route condition have not been established.
- Activity
- Alpinism
- Direction / role
- Climbing line
- Starting point
- Not established from the checked source
- Difficulty
- Not established from the checked source
- Elevation gain
- Not established from the checked source
- Duration
- Not established from the checked source
- Season
- Not established from the checked source
- Current access
- Not checked for current use
Mendoza · Aconcagua management-plan proposal, volume I · source checked 2026-10-05
Historical listing; a route name or old grade does not confirm the current line, protection or completion.
Messner south-face variantAlpinism · Climbing line · archive 1974
Historical ascent record; present access and route condition have not been established.
- Activity
- Alpinism
- Direction / role
- Climbing line
- Starting point
- Not established from the checked source
- Difficulty
- Not established from the checked source
- Elevation gain
- Not established from the checked source
- Duration
- Not established from the checked source
- Season
- Not established from the checked source
- Current access
- Not checked for current use
Mendoza · Aconcagua management-plan proposal, volume I · source checked 2026-10-05
Historical listing; a route name or old grade does not confirm the current line, protection or completion.
Argentine southeast ridgeAlpinism · Climbing line · archive 1978
Historical ascent record; present access and route condition have not been established.
- Activity
- Alpinism
- Direction / role
- Climbing line
- Starting point
- Not established from the checked source
- Difficulty
- Not established from the checked source
- Elevation gain
- Not established from the checked source
- Duration
- Not established from the checked source
- Season
- Not established from the checked source
- Current access
- Not checked for current use
Mendoza · Aconcagua management-plan proposal, volume I · source checked 2026-10-05
Historical listing; a route name or old grade does not confirm the current line, protection or completion.
Southwest ridgeAlpinism · Climbing line · archive 1979
Historical ascent record; present access and route condition have not been established.
- Activity
- Alpinism
- Direction / role
- Climbing line
- Starting point
- Not established from the checked source
- Difficulty
- Not established from the checked source
- Elevation gain
- Not established from the checked source
- Duration
- Not established from the checked source
- Season
- Not established from the checked source
- Current access
- Not checked for current use
Mendoza · Aconcagua management-plan proposal, volume I · source checked 2026-10-05
Historical listing; a route name or old grade does not confirm the current line, protection or completion.
Route questions, answered
Specific planning questions, with the scope of each source kept visible.
Is Aconcagua’s 360° route the Direct Polish Glacier route?
No. Mendoza’s regulations distinguish the Direct Polish Glacier variants from Falso Polacos/La Travesía/360°, which connects the Polish side to the normal route. The names describe different itineraries, even though the document discusses shared high camps.
Does the linked regulations PDF establish this season’s fees and access?
No. It documents the park’s route and use framework, but a PDF in the 2024 upload directory does not establish current fees, openings or a personal permit. Those season-specific details remain unconfirmed in this profile. Check the park’s current information before arranging entry.
Climbing Chronicle Redaktion · Sources checked · Source research; current route conditions are not confirmed.
Planning at a glance
Access and starting point
Not yet established from checked sources for this mountain.
Difficulty and required experience
Not yet established from checked sources for this mountain.
Season and restrictions
Not yet established from checked sources for this mountain.
Sources for current information
No mountain-specific conditions source has yet been checked for this record.
This page stores reference sources, not live conditions. Check the provider’s publication date and route coverage before use.
First documented ascent
January 1897
Matthias Zurbriggen.
The Swiss guide reached the summit by what became known as the Normal Route.
Earlier local or Indigenous ascents may not be represented in the cited record.
Planning and access
Verify provincial park entry rules, climbing permits, operating dates and rescue arrangements before committing to an itinerary.
Terrain and hazards
High altitude, wind and cold. A detailed acclimatization plan and current local forecast are not supplied here.
Research still needed
For Aconcagua, this atlas does not yet document checked access details; checked difficulty; checked seasonal restrictions. Missing first-ascent evidence does not mean a mountain is unclimbed.
Use the linked sources as starting points; summit coordinates do not describe a climbing route or public access.
Sources and coverage
Editorial summaries with linked references. Data snapshot: 30 September 2026. Elevations and boundaries can differ between sources. Mountain-range membership follows explicit Wikidata relationships or a coordinate match against published GMBA v2 standard polygons. GMBA: Global Mountain Biodiversity Assessment (2021), CC BY 4.0; methodology: Snethlage et al. (2022). Missing evidence remains open.
Explore the surrounding regions
Principal Cordillera · Andes · American Cordillera · Dry Andes · Southern Andes · Andes · Central Andes · Mountains in Argentina
Editorial responsibility
Responsible publisher and editorial author: Climbing Chronicle Redaktion. AI-assisted source research; no on-site inspection or professional route approval is claimed.
- Route listing source check
- 2026-10-05 · partial inventory; current access remains open
- Planning source check
- Open · no individual planning-source check recorded
- Earlier profile review
- Open · no complete editorial review recorded
- Imported context retrieved
- 2026-10-05 · automated retrieval, not an editorial review
How sources, authorship and review dates work
Further reading about Aconcagua
Links discovered through the Wikidata record. These articles have not been checked as evidence for route, difficulty or access claims.
Mountains nearby
Recorded mountains, ordered by straight-line distance. This does not describe a route or accessible connection.
1–3 of 3 recorded mountains within 25 km
- Cerro Ameghino · 4.4 km
- Tres Hermanos · 14.7 km
- Cerro Bonete · 17.1 km