Argentina is a vast country, spanning the tropics in the north, Andes Mountains in the west, and Patagonia in the south. Mountain climbing offers visitors an unforgettable opportunity to experience Argentina’s varied topography and wildlife up close.
Argentina boasts some spectacular peaks along the western spine of the Andes that separate it from Chile. Here’s a look at some of the best ones.
Cerro Tres Picos
Argentina’s mountains provide an unforgettable journey into nature, and Cerro Tres Picos is a must-visit destination for hikers. Situated in Sierra de la Ventana, this massif offers various activities such as hiking, rock climbing and horseback riding.
Cerro Tres Picos is one of the region’s most picturesque mountain peaks and boasts stunning vistas. Climbing to its summit can be a challenging yet rewarding experience suitable for hikers of all abilities and levels of fitness.
If you’re thinking of visiting Cerro Tres Picos, the ideal time to come is between spring and fall. This allows for optimal weather conditions while taking in stunning views from atop the mountain.
In addition, you will have the chance to view various flora and fauna in the area. Your trek up the peak is also an opportunity to explore the surrounding area and gain a better insight into local culture.
Visits to the peaks can also be combined with other outdoor activities, like hiking and fishing. These can be arranged directly through the property; guests will find information about them on its website.
Camping on the summit of a mountain can be an appealing option for travelers, offering them an unforgettable experience. This is particularly suitable for nature buffs who wish to explore their surrounding area without leaving their hotel room.
Experience mountain views from HERMOSO PAISAJE, Complejo Vista Tres Picos apartment and take advantage of free private parking on site. There is a TV, seating area and fully equipped kitchen with oven and microwave; guests may also take advantage of the garden and terrace.
Cerro Dos Picos
Chubut, Argentina boasts one of South America’s highest mountains: Cerro Dos Picos. Situated west of Lake Cholila in Cushamen department, it forms part of a trio with Cerro Tres Picos (2,515m) and Hill Annex, 2498m high.
Though this region had been inhabited for millennia, it wasn’t until the 17th century that Spanish missionaries arrived and started to settle here. The indigenous Tehuelche people were the first inhabitants here, living here in seasonal cycles as hunter-gatherers.
Los Glaciares National Park near El Calafate has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site, featuring the Perito Moreno glacier which forms a dam on Lake Argentino before plunging down as an immense dome of ice over its waters below.
This glacier is created by the Perito Moreno ice field, an immense mass of ice that originates in southern Patagonian Ice and flows eastward through the Andes to Lake Argentino. As it descends, it creates a “vault” of more than 50 meters that is unique to this part of the lake.
Climbers can conquer Cerro Dos Picos’ northern face. Ramiro Calvo-de la Cruz completed this route back in 2000 and says that it offers an exciting challenge with easy snow gullies and mixed terrain.
However, in other parts of Cerro Dos Picos’ face the rock quality is poor and difficult to follow. Thus, many attempts have failed, with only a few people succeeding in reaching its summit.
Cerro Mercedario
Cerro Mercadario is one of the highest mountains in Argentina’s province of San Juan and part of Cordillera de los Andes range. It’s renowned for its rugged beauty and unique rock formations.
The Mercadario peak is home to Glaciar La Ollada, a glacier that extends along its south side. This dense glacier has an estimated depth of 137 m (13%).
This ice is mostly composed of compact firn, though some coarse granular lenses have also been discovered. At the surface, its density is low but increases as it descends into the glacier. It primarily consists of snow that has been mixed with air that contains some moisture from the atmosphere.
Winters on the Mercadario summit receive minimal precipitation, but summer brings a different story. Between 28degS and 35degS there is an east-west gradient in atmospheric humidity which affects precipitation amounts.
At lower elevations, precipitation is greater than at higher-elevation sites such as Punta de Vacas (2460 m), Puente del Inca (2722 m) and Cristo Redentor (38262 m). This may be due to air masses being lifted from the west or moisture advection from the east – two major atmospheric influences in this Andean region.
The paleoclimatic record of the Mercadario core is well preserved, making it possible to reconstruct climate conditions during times when El Nino-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) activity was at its highest. This information is vital as El Nino-Southern Oscillation affects weather patterns across Argentine province of San Juan.
Cerro Negro
Cerro Negro, located in central Nicaragua, is one of the country’s top tourist attractions. You can reach its summit from Leon town with ease if you take it slow and enjoy the view along the way.
Since 1999, the volcano has been active. You can still see steam rising from it as rainwater seeps through hot lava from earlier eruptions.
As is common with volcanoes, Cerro Negro presents a number of hazards. These include mudslides, pyroclastic flows and earthquakes; however, the main danger lies in the large amount of ash that falls out during eruptions.
Cerro Negro has been particularly active recently, producing numerous explosive eruptions that caused significant ash fallout on surrounding areas. One such village, LeA3n, sits at the base of the mountain and was deeply affected by these devastation – particularly LeA3n itself, a small settlement built atop it.
Unfortunately, little is known about Cerro Negro’s deep structures. While diffuse soil gas surveys have been used to study its surface features, they haven’t explored below ground.
Here, we use gravity data to investigate the subsurface structure of Cerro Negro and identify potential intrusive complexes responsible for its activity. We identify 119 Bouguer anomalies (wavelength 0.5-2 km, magnitude +4 mGal) as local and regional positive gravity anomalies incompatible with shallow peridotite magmas that are responsible for most ashfalls.
These results indicate Cerro Negro may be a conduit within the El Hoyo arc. This low-tension volcanic system has seen renewed magmatic activity in recent years.
Volcan Domuyo
Volcan Domuyo, commonly referred to as “the Roof of Patagonia,” is the highest mountain in Patagonia and part of the Cordillera del Viento (Wind Range) region of Neuquen province. It boasts numerous thermal waters and geysers for visitors’ enjoyment.
Domuyo is a stratovolcano with an expansive 15 km wide caldera comprised of 14 dacite lava domes (the last two, Cerro Guitarra and Cerro Covunco, are the youngest). Its slopes boast fumaroles, hot springs and geysers.
Seismic monitoring data reveals a highly active hydrothermal system and extensive zone of deformation around the volcano’s center. Furthermore, gravity anomalies point to an underground reservoir.
Gravity studies are an invaluable aid in studying magma reservoirs at silicic volcanic centers like Domuyo. By measuring density distribution at depth, a geodetic model can be created that may provide insight into the source and dynamics of this magma reservoir.
In this paper, we present a conceptual model of unrest at Domuyo volcano, Argentina, based on geodetic and thermal data. This suggests that an extensive volume of magma has been injected into the shallow subsurface in recent times, potentially leading to future eruptions.
It appears that Domuyo’s current inflation phase, which began in 2014, is a reflection of the warming period from 2008 to 2012. Therefore, Domuyo may soon enter into a deflationary mode to reflect the cooling period from 2012 to 2016.
We compare surface warming time series with those prior to gas-driven eruptions at Domuyo and assess its correlation with deformation. The current increase is strongly correlated with deformation, explaining why the volcano appears to be behaving similarly and erupting at high rates.
