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Aconcagua ((:akoŋˈkaɣwa)) is the highest mountain outside of Asia, at , and by extension the highest point in both the Western Hemisphere and the Southern Hemisphere.〔 It is located in the Andes mountain range, in the Mendoza Province, Argentina, and lies 112 kilometres (70 mi) northwest of its capital, the city of Mendoza. The summit is also located about 5 kilometres from San Juan Province and 15 kilometres from the international border with Chile; its nearest higher neighbor is Tirich Mir in the Hindu Kush, away. It is one of the Seven Summits. Aconcagua is bounded by the ''Valle de las Vacas'' to the north and east and the ''Valle de los Horcones Inferior'' to the West and South. The mountain and its surroundings are part of the Aconcagua Provincial Park. The mountain has a number of glaciers. The largest glacier is the Ventisquero Horcones Inferior at about 10 km long, which descends from the south face to about 3600 m altitude near the Confluencia camp.〔 Servei General d'Informacio de Muntanya, 2002, "Aconcagua 1:50,000 map", published by Cordee〕 Two other large glacier systems are the Ventisquero de las Vacas Sur and Glaciar Este/Ventisquero Relinchos system at about 5 km long. The most well-known is the north-eastern or Polish Glacier, as it is a common route of ascent. The mountain was created by the subduction of the Nazca Plate beneath the South American Plate during the geologically recent Andean orogeny; but it is not a volcano.〔Simkin, T. and Siebert, L. (2002-). (What is the world's highest volcano? ) Smithsonian Institution, Global Volcanism Program. Accessed 22 August 2012.〕 The origin of the name is contested; it is either from the Mapuche ''Aconca-Hue,'' which refers to the Aconcagua River and means "comes from the other side", the Quechua ''Ackon Cahuak'', meaning "'Sentinel of Stone", or Quechua ''Anco Cahuac'', "White Sentinel"〔Secor, ''op. cit.'', p. 13.〕 or the Aymara ''Janq'u Q'awa'', "White Ravine", "White Brook".〔(Guías Pedagógicas del Sector Lengua Indígena, Aymara ) Ministerio de Educación, Fondo de las Naciones Unidas para la Infancia, UNICEF, Santiago de Chile, 2012 (Spanish), p. 62 ''Janq’u q’awa'' (Aconcagua: quebrada blanca).〕 ==Climbing== In mountaineering terms, Aconcagua is technically an easy mountain if approached from the north, via the normal route. Aconcagua is arguably the highest ''non-technical'' mountain in the world, since the northern route does not absolutely require ropes, axes, and pins. Although the effects of altitude are severe (atmospheric pressure is 40% of sea-level at the summit), the use of supplemental oxygen is not common. Altitude sickness will affect most climbers to some extent, depending on the degree of acclimatization. Even if the normal climb is technically easy, multiple casualties occur every year on this mountain (in January 2009 alone five climbers died). This is due to the large numbers of climbers who make the attempt and because many climbers underestimate the objective risks of the elevation and of cold weather, which is the real challenge on this mountain. Given the weather conditions close to the summit, cold weather injuries are very common. The Polish Glacier Traverse route, also known as the "Falso de los Polacos" route, crosses through the Vacas valley, ascends to the base of the Polish Glacier, then traverses across to the normal route for the final ascent to the summit. The third most popular route is by the Polish Glacier itself. No hard records are kept about Aconcagua ascents, but the Provincial Park reports a success rate of about 60% of climbers who attempt the mountain. About 75% of climbers are foreigners and 25% are Argentinean. Among foreigners, the United States leads in number of climbers, followed by Germany and the UK. About 54% of climbers ascend the Normal Route, 43% up the Polish Glacier Route, and the remaining 3% on other routes.〔(【引用サイトリンク】url=http://climbing.about.com/od/thesevensummits/a/AconcaguaFacts.htm )〕 The routes to the peak from the south and south-west ridges are more demanding, and the south face climb is considered very difficult. The camp sites on the normal route are listed below (altitudes are approximate). * Puente del Inca, 2,740 m (8,990 ft): A small village on the main road, with facilities including a lodge. * Confluencia, 3,380 m (11,090 ft): A camp site a few hours into the national park. * Plaza de Mulas, 4,370 m (14,340 ft): Base camp, claimed to be the second largest in the world (after Everest). There are several meal tents, showers and internet access. There is a lodge approx. 1 km from the main campsite across the glacier. At this camp, climbers are screened by a medical team to check if they are fit enough to continue the climb. * Camp Canadá, : A large ledge overlooking Plaza de Mulas. * Camp Alaska, : Called 'change of slope' in Spanish, a small site as the slope from Plaza de Mulas to Nido de Cóndores lessens. Not commonly used. * Nido de Cóndores, : A large plateau with beautiful views. There is usually a park ranger camped here. * Camp Berlín, : The classic high camp, offering reasonable wind protection. * Camp Colera, : A larger, while slightly more exposed, camp situated directly at the north ridge near Camp Berlín, with growing popularity. In January 2011, a shelter was opened in Camp Colera for exclusive use in cases of emergency. The shelter is named ''Elena'' after Italian climber Elena Senin, who died in January 2009 shortly after reaching the summit, and whose family donated the shelter. * Several sites possible for camping or bivouac, including Piedras Blancas (~6100 m) and Independencia (~6350 m), are located above Colera; however, they are seldom used and offer little protection. Summit attempts are usually made from a high camp at either Berlín or Colera, or from the lower camp at Nido de Cóndores. All camps are used frequently, namely Plaza de Mulas and Nido de Cóndores. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Aconcagua」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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