The Big Five

Aconcagua is not only the highest mountain in Argentina, but also the highest in South America and, more importantly, the highest mountain outside of Asia. Its altitude falls just 38 meters short of 7,000 meters. The climb presents no technical difficulties. It's a perfect mountain for testing one's ability to cope with high altitudes. Some climb it because it' is one of the Seven Summits, the highest peaks on each of the seven continents, and for others, it is part of the 5-Summit Challenge. However, above all, Aconcagua is a magnificent destination in its own right... climbing it is a true athletic challenge due to its altitude and due to the distances that have to be covered.

Besides being the highest mountain in Chile and the second-highest in Argentina, Ojos del Salado is the highest volcano on Earth. The mountain, located on the border between Chile and Argentina, is preferably climbed from the Chilean side, where there is more infrastructure and where the fantastic Laguna Verde is located with its thermal springs. The journey from the city of Copiapó to the Foot of the roof of the Atacama Desert alone is an unforgettable experience. The Atacama is the driest desert on earth. The Humboldt Current in the Pacific Ocean carries cold water from the south far into northern Chile and Peru, ensuring that hardly any clouds form over the continent.

The Cordillera Blanca in Peru is like a smaller, but no less impressive version of the Himalayas on the other side of the world. Huascarán is the highest peak in the Cordillera Blanca and in Peru in general. It also has the status of the highest mountain in the tropics. Furthermore, its summit is the point on the Earth's surface where the gravitational force is least, which means that a person is lighter on the summit of Huascarán than anywhere else on Earth. Among the Big Five, Huascarán is by far the most challenging. Safely climbing it requires alpine experience and a local mountain guide. The demanding expedition to this ice giant is rewarded with a magnificent high-altitude scenery and with high-alpine sporting challenges.

Sajama, Bolivia's highest mountain, is a magnificent, gigantic volcano in the breathtaking landscape of the Altiplano. Endless expanses, punctuated by snow-capped volcanic peaks, take the traveler to another planet. Just a stay in the quaint village of Sajama at the foot of the volcano, at over 4,000 meters above sea level, is an experience in itself. A nearby geothermal field is evidence of the area's volcanic activity. The thermal springs at the foot of Sajama are a great place to warm up for the tour and to relax after the climb.

The summit of Chimborazo, Ecuador's highest mountain, is the point on Earth's surface that is most distant from the Earth's center, almost two km further than the summit of Mount Everest. That means, in a certain sense, the geographers in the 18th and 19th Century, who believed Chimborazo to be the highest mountain on Earth, were right. It is the only 6,000-meter peak in Ecuador and the northernmost in the Andes.

Famous is Alexander von Humboldt's attempt to climb Chimborazo. reaching an altitude of about 5,600 meters in 1802, he set an altitude record for a European person at that time.

Under good conditions, the mountain is quite easy to climb. However, frequent snowfall can make the ascent difficult.