Travel Inspiration Highest Peaks in Argentina 1st May, 2024

Interestingly, the Andes Mountain range contains both the highest peaks in the Western and Southern Hemispheres. From the towering summits of Aconcagua and Ojos del Salado to the lesser-known mountains like Monte Pissis and Cerro Bonete, Argentina is home to some of the tallest mountains in the world outside the Himalaya. In this blog we’ll list the 10 tallest mountains in Argentina as well as some of the more accessible trekking routes the country has to offer.

At Kandoo Adventures, our Climb Aconcagua trip is one of our most challenging adventures. For those who don’t fancy the challenge of summiting both the tallest mountain in Argentina and the tallest mountain in South America but still want to experience trekking in Argentina, our Ultimate Patagonia and Peaks of Patagonia trips are the perfect way to explore this spectacular country.

1. Aconcagua – 6,961m
   
2. Ojos Del Salado – 6,893m
   
3. Monte Pissis – 6,795m
   
4. Cerro Bonete – 6,759m
   
5. Llullaillaco – 6,739m
   
6. Mercedario – 6,720m
   
7. Incahuasi – 6,621m
   
8. Tupungato – 6,570m
   
9. Antofalla – 6,450m
   
10. Reclus – 6,300m
    

At 6,961m, Aconcagua in the Andes Mountain range in the Mendoza Province is both the tallest mountain in Argentina and tallest mountain in South America. Not to mention, it’s also the highest mountain in the world outside the Himalaya and is in the famed “Seven Summits”, the seven tallest mountains on each continent making. Climbing Aconcagua is a bucket list adventure for intermediate and advance trekkers around the world and ideal training ground for bigger summits.

Aconcagua is an extinct volcano whose name may originate from the Quechua Ackon Cahuak meaning “Sentinel of Stone”. It is a popular choice for climbers who have previously summited Kilimanjaro though it is a significant step up in terms of difficulty. While it is a very physical climb, no technical climbing skills are required to summit Aconcagua, making it one of the most achievable of the Seven Summits. The difficulties of the ascent are those of trekking at extreme altitude.

With a very short climbing season and limited numbers climbing each season, Aconcagua only supports a small number of climbing operators. Kandoo Adventures’ Climb Aconcagua adventures are partnered with the very best locator operators who provide support for almost all adventure companies worldwide and we only run a small number of group climbs each season.

The second tallest mountain in South America is Ojos Del Salado, which sits on the border between Argentina and Chile at an elevation of 6,893m. Due to its location on the Argentina-Chile border, Ojos Del Salado is the second tallest mountain in Argentina and highest mountain in Chile. It is also the highest active volcano in the world, with minor activity still occurring at its peak from time to time giving it a strong smell of sulphur on the summit. The most recent record of activity was a reported gas plume in 1993 and its last eruption occurred between 1,000 and 1,500 years ago.

The mountain experiences dry conditions due to its location near the Atacama Desert however, snow can fall at any time. The name Ojos Del Salado translates to “Eyes of the Salty One” because of its salt deposits which appear in its snowfields in the form of lagoons or ‘eyes’. Remarkably, the mountain hosts the highest lake in the world at 6,390m on its eastern side. This crater lake is about 100m in diameter, but its depth is unknown, possibly as little as 5m or 10m, and exists all year round.

Ojos del Salado is a border mountain and can be climbed from both Argentina and Chile. It is a tough mountain to climb due to its high altitude and climbers would benefit from previous experience climbing or trekking up to 5,000m. However, with enough time to acclimatise properly, it is not as complex as Aconcagua and would be a good step up from climbing Kilimanjaro.

Monte Pissis is both the third highest peak in Argentina and third highest peak in South America. The mountain is an extinct volcano located in the Catamarca Province of Argentina, near the border with Chile and it is part of the Puna de Atacama, a high plateau in the Andes Mountains. It has four distinct summits of which three are of almost the same elevation although the west summit is considered to be the highest at 6,795m in elevation.

The mountain was named after French geologist, Pedro Jose Amedeo Pissis who worked for the Chilean government in the 19th century and played an influential part in the cartography of the country. Due to its location in the Atacama Desert, Monte Pissis has dry conditions though its peak is the most glaciated in the desert, requiring crampons and mountaineering experience. The altitude and cold weather combined with difficult terrain make the climb very challenging.

The west summit was climbed for the first time in 1937 by two Polish mountaineers Stefan Osiecki and Jan Alfred Szczepanski and it was not climbed again until 1985. Monte Pissis received little attention because it was very tall and remote, but when a mine opened close by, a primitive road was constructed, and the peak became more popular.