Height: 6,962 metres (22,841 feet)
Location: Argentina, South America
Summit date: 2 February 2005
Route: Upper Vacas / normal route
Aconcagua is located in the Andes of western Argentina near the Chilean border and is the highest peak in the Western Hemisphere. Its name derives from an indigenous word meaning “Stone Sentinel”. The first recorded summit was in 1897 by Matthias Zurbriggen of Switzerland. Today thousands of climbers make summit attempts on Acongagua every year. Aconcagua is often underestimated which has resulted in serious injuries and death, mostly on the normal route. The extreme cold, stormy winds and altitude make this mountain a serious undertaking.
Chicks’ reflections: “On the 2nd of February we stood at just below 7,000m – the highest point in the whole of South America and the highest point in the world outside of the Himalayas!”
“On summit day we felt altitude sick from sleeping so high and being very tired. It was a matter of one foot in front of the other over ice, snow and scree. It also was about simply supporting and encouraging each other. The nice thing about our summit day was we had the mountain to ourselves because everyone had fled during the storm.”