New York, Charles Scribners, 1899, 1st edition. 390 pp, 52 b/w plates, TEG, Uncut. Royal 8vo. Original green cloth hardcover with gilt titles on spine. The maps are beautiful and except for a former owner's bookplate there is no writing in the book. Overall bright and fine - a nice, clean a copy. Near Fine overall.
The American edition of Highest Andes was actually printed in the UK, and the contents are identical. This makes a lot of sense at the 52 plates and 2 maps would make it difficult and expensive to print in the USA in 1899. The UK edition was bound in red cloth, while the American edition was printed in green cloth, and there are two variants. One has the flying condor on the cover as the UK edition has, one does not. What likely is that additional copies of the first printing were printed and not bound until the demand showed that additional copies were needed. This is a common practice even today.
This is a heavy, large format book. Extra postage will be requested for Priority Mail or International Mail.
Aconcagua, 'The Sentinel of Stone'.
Its name has roots in the Quechua language and when translated means 'The Sentinel of Stone'.
Aconcagua is the highest peak in the western hemisphere; indeed, outside the Himalaya, so this is one of the most important first ascents ever. It is the story of the first ascent of by Mathias Zurbriggen, Fitzgerald's Swiss guide. Zurbriggen also went to New Zealand with Fitzgerald and made first ascents of several peaks there.
Aconcagua, at 22830 feet (6959 meters) is the highest point in the Western and Southern hemisphere, towering above the surrounding peaks in the Argentine Andes. It is the highest peak in the world not in the great mountain chains of Asia.
The mountain stands on the border with Chile, some 18 miles from the Puente del Inca settlement. Aconcagua does not lie in the actual Andes, but in the Frontal range, slightly to the east. It has a very steep and massive face on its south and a gentle slope on the north, with a huge glacier, the Polish glacier, flowing to the east and a series of aretes and couloirs to the west. As the highest point in South America, Aconcagua is one of the much sought after "Seven Summits" and a world renowned peak.
The mountain has two summits - North 6959 meters and South 6930 meters, joined by a ridge the Cresta del Guanaco approximately one kilometer long. Various ridges radiate from each summit and the whole massif is isolated from other high peaks. Only to the northwest is it connected by a high snow ridge with the surrounding mountain systems.
The usual approach is from the south up the Quebrada de los Horcones, which circles the western flanks of the peak, to the Plaza de Mulas base camp at a height of 4230 meters. From here 3 routes start: the normal via the Horcones Glaciar Superior and north ridge, the West Buttress route, and the South-West route. The best climbing period is mid-November to March. On the normal route, refuges exist at heights of 5850 meters and 6480 meters.
