I think it was just a year or so a go that a good buddy of mine spent three weeks down in Argentina acclimatizing and then climbing Mount Aconcagua in the Andes. Why did he do it? Well, because it was there And because it is the tallest mountain in the Western Hemisphere. There is pride to be taken in an accomplishment like that. Especially for desk jockeys like us.
But it turns out my friend’s accomplishment may lost some of its luster. A team of French and Chilean climbers are undertaking an effort to determine whether Americas’ highest summit really is Aconcagua in Argentina, or if that title should actually go to Ojos del Salado in Chile.
“Proving that it is the highest spot in Latin America could change world climbing history,” one of the French climbers said. And he’s right. That would be a big, big deal. And just think of the increase in tourism in Chile, not to mention the blow to national pride in Argentina. Marc Turrel, editor of Andes Magazine, said such a change would dramatically effect the appeal of Ojos and draw climbers to Chile instead of Argentina. Aconcagua is listed in the record books at 22,841 feet, while Ojos del Salado comes in at 22,614 feet, but the new measurements may change that. But it looks like we’re going to wait not just for these new results, but for the results of another climb to the top of Aconcagua, which they are also remeasuring.
Why they didn’t already have this figured out with all the high tech wizbangery we have at our disposal is a mystery to me, but we’ll find out soon, I guess, which mountain and country gets the honor. The answer could be a big deal for both these countries and for my friend.