At a height of 22, 840 ft the Aconcagua is a formidable opponent to content. A sparse grassy skirt giving way to slate rock grey and a crown of white greet visitors gaping at this giant from far below. ‘Tall’ or ‘large’ doesn’t quite encompass the Aconcagua’s size, one of the Seven Summits of the world and the highest peak in both the western and southern hemispheres. Daunted? You have good reason to be.

Misleading contenders with its gentle slopes and relatively well-paved paths, the Aconcagua is a fickle giant. Glaring heat can give way to cloudy tempestuous gales at the snap of a finger. Crampons and ropes might not be essential but unwavering determination and grit are essential on this journey. But for the successful few at the eagle’s perch up above, Aconcagua hefts you on its shoulders to reveal the Andes spread out before you, grey paper mountains against the sky. Can you feel your adrenaline pumping just at the thought of it?