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Q:
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Need info on trekking up Mt. Aconcagua. Where
can I find it? Can a bunch of fit 60-plus Rocky
Mountain hikers do it?
—Jean Miller, Fraser, Colorado
I don't care how fit you are, if you can't find the
mountain there's no way on Earth you're going to climb
it.
Oh, you want to know where to find information. Got it.
OK, well, 22,835-foot [6,960-meter] Aconcagua,
Argentina, is the highest peak in the western
hemisphere. Its easiest routes, by mountaineering
standards, are considered walkups: If you're fit, are
comfortable traveling in the mountains and on glaciers,
and have good luck with weather and acclimatization,
you stand a good chance of making the summit. It
is, however, a big big mountain, with all the attendant
dangers of big big mountains. If you've never tackled a
multi-week, expedition-level climb, go with an outfitter
or guide and train like the dickens. Then drop into
Amazon.com, where you can buy Aconcagua: A
Climbing Guide for about 15 bucks
(www.amazon.com). Next, get your hands on the
July/August 2000 issue of National Geographic Adventure,
where you can read Geoffrey Norman's terrific feature
on climbing the mountain (back issues, Tel: 800 647
5463). Finally, contact a guiding service like
Professional Mountain Guides (Tel: +1 307 733 8812,
www.atrav.com/profmg), Aventuras Patagonicas
(Tel: 888 203 9354,
www.patagonicas.com), or Rumbo al Horizonte
(Tel: 54 261 452 0641,
www.aconcagua2001.com.ar).
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