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The first recorded ascent was in 1897 by a European expedition led by the British mountaineer Edward FitzGerald. FitzGerald failed to reach the summit himself over eight attempts between December 1896 and February 1897, but the (Swiss) guide of the expedition, Matthias Zurbriggen reached the summit on 14 January.
around 9.5 million years ago
The peak is of an extinct volcano, which last erupted around 9.5 million years ago in the Miocene. At this time, the Nazca plate, subducting below the South American, changed its course, adopting a shallower angle of dip.
Matthias Zurbriggen
Aconcagua/First ascenders
Aconcagua is of volcanic origin, but it is not itself an active volcano. It has two summits—north and south—connected by a ridge (Cresta del Guanaco) that is about 0.6 mile (1 km) long. The first attempted ascent, made in 1883, failed; the highest (north) summit was first reached in 1897 by Swiss climber Matthias Zurbriggen.
During the rest Fitzgerald, who had been feeling fine until then, gradually became nauseous again. By now he realised his bouts of nausea were getting a bit silly and in danger of jeopardising the main purpose of the expedition. He sent Zurbriggen on alone to complete the first ascent of Aconcagua on 14th January 1897.
Although this new figure has been widely reported, it is not officially recognized by Argentina’s government or by the National Geographic Society in the United States. The southern summit has been measured at 22,736 feet (6,930 metres). Mount Aconcagua, Argentina.
Even from November to March, snow, high winds and ice prevail throughout the upper reaches of the mountain. Temperatures remain cold on the summit all year round and during the climbing season people often get frostbite as temperatures regularly drop to around -30 degrees Celsius.