Historically, Aconcagua was thought to be a volcano due to its volcanic rock composition, but the absence of a crater later disproved this theory.
The mountain attracts climbers and adventurers worldwide seeking extreme sports, offering routes of varying difficulty and breathtaking beauty. Between December and March, over 6,000 visitors come to marvel at its landscapes and mountaineering challenges.
Aconcagua presents two starkly contrasting routes:
- The "Normal Route" (North Face) is the most frequented, technically straightforward but with severe atmospheric pressure effects.
- The South Face is far riskier, featuring a 3,000-metre ice wall with extreme technical demands. Unmonitored by rescue patrols due to avalanche risks, it’s reserved for elite climbers.
Excerpt from Héctor Ponce de León’s interview for Yumping Mexico, where the Mexican mountaineer recounts his harrowing ascent of Aconcagua’s South Face:
Yumping Mexico – Is there one climb that left an indelible mark on your life?
Héctor P.L. – Absolutely. The South Face of Aconcagua stands out—the intensity, the sheer exposure. It’s listed among The Great Walls, one of the ten most formidable climbs globally.
My partner Andrés Delgado and I attempted an alpine-style ascent—fast, light, with minimal gear: one 50-metre rope, a handful of pitons. This style has a point of no return: beyond 20 metres, retreat becomes impossible. You summit or perish.
We aimed to conquer the entire face in three days. The first two went smoothly, reaching 5,900m by nightfall. Then a storm hit. By 3 pm the next day, we’d barely started—600 metres remained. No food, no tent, just basic climbing gear. We spent the night hanging on the ice, freezing.
At dawn, exhausted, we faced a grim choice: climb the final 600 metres of bullet-hard ice unroped. Andrés went first, painstakingly slow. Watching him, terror gripped me. But then—a shift. From paralyzing fear came eerie calm. My tools bit the ice; movement flowed. For two hours, I existed only in motion, in a near-mystical state. Reaching the top brought bittersweet disillusionment—the transcendent focus was over.
That climb remains my most profoundly intense experience: terrifying, beautiful, and revealing on every level.
