Andes

Cordillera de los Andes, short the Andes, are the longest mountains in the world, with a north-south extension of 7,500 kilometers from the tropics (at 10° north) to well into the outer tropics (at 55° south).

Facts about the Andes:

• Highest mountain: Aconcagua 6,961 m / 22,837 ft 
• Mountains above 6,000m altitude: 120 (estimate)
• Length of the mountains: 7,500 km
• Area: 3,371,000 km²

Cordillera means mountain range. In Peru, Bolivia, northern Chile and northern Argentina, the Andes consist of two very widely separated main chains that enclose the central highlands (Altipano) where Lake Titicaca is located. In the south, the steep mountains of Patagonia characterize the Andean landscape until the continent ends with the Cordillera Darwin on Tierra del Fuego.

Some countries are particularly popular for mountaineers who want to explore the Andes. Here you can find some information about their mountains.

In Argentina, the Andes stretch along the border with Chile for 4,000 kilometers. From the high mountains in the north near Bolivia / Chile, the Ojos del Salado, with 6'893 meters height the 2nd highest mountain in South America, over the Aconcagua itself, the northern and southern Patagonia, to Tierra del Fuego, the Argentine Andes host a variety of interesting mountains. In Mendoza, is the starting point for tours to Aconcagua. As the highest mountain in South America and one of the popular Seven Summits, it attracts many adventurers, climbers, and hikers.

The Andes in Ecuador are about 200km wide and are divided into the western Cordillera Occidental and the parallel eastern Cordillera Real, also known as Cordillera Central. They frame a high valley at altitudes between 1,800 to 3,200 m over 500 km long, 20 to 30 km wide, home to a series of medium-high mountains. There lies the road of volcanoes, Cotopaxi and Chimborazo.

The western cordillera is formed by the Cordillera Raura in the north, the Cordillera Blanca and the Cordillera Huayhuash in the center, and the Cordillera Volcánica in the south of Peru. Towards the coast, the Cordillera Occidental is offshore. To the east, the Cordillera Oriental runs through the country and forms the border with the Amazon.