If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to climb the highest peak outside Asia and the highest in both the Southern and the Western Hemispheres, this short self-shot documentary by James Smith will give you a good idea of the process. Aconcagua is a mountain in the Principal Cordillera of the Andes mountain range, in Mendoza Province, Argentina with a summit elevation of 6,961 meters (22,841ft). First summited in 1897, Aconcagua is arguably the highest non-technical mountain in the world, since the northern route does not absolutely require ropes, axes, and pins but the altitude sickness is a real danger and climbers die every year trying to make it to the top (in January 2009 alone five climbers died). If you’re looking for a major alpine challenge but don’t have the budget to launch a expedition to Mt. Everest, perhaps a trip up Aconcagua could be just the thing:
