South America’s highest peaks are concentrated almost entirely in the Andes, the world’s longest continental mountain range, with the greatest cluster of towering summits found in Argentina and along the Argentina-Chile border. The Andes are home to a staggering number of major peaks—roughly a hundred exceeding 6,000 meters and nine hundred surpassing 5,000 meters—making this list a genuine showcase of the tallest terrain outside the Himalayas.
1. Aconcagua — 6,960 meters (22,831 feet)
Aconcagua stands as the undisputed highest mountain in South America, rising in Argentina’s Mendoza Province within the Andes’ Principal Cordillera. It also holds the distinction of being the highest mountain outside of Asia, making it the tallest peak in both the Western and Southern Hemispheres. The mountain sits within Aconcagua National Park and hosts several glaciers on its south face, including one that descends roughly 15 kilometers. Despite its imposing height, summit success rates run around 45%, reflecting a demanding but non-technical standard route that draws climbers from around the world.
2. Ojos del Salado — 6,893 meters (22,615 feet)
Sitting on the Argentina-Chile border in the arid Atacama Desert, Ojos del Salado is the second-highest mountain in South America and holds a distinct title of its own: the highest active volcano in the world. Rather than a single defined summit, this complex massif is topped by overlapping lava domes, lava flows, and more than 20 craters, and it hosts the highest crater lake on the planet at over 21,000 feet at its base. First summited by a Polish expedition in 1937, the volcano remains dormant but not fully extinct, having last erupted around 750 CE.
3. Monte Pissis — 6,793 meters (22,287 feet)
Straddling Argentina’s La Rioja and Catamarca provinces, Monte Pissis is the third-highest point in South America and the entire Western Hemisphere. This extinct stratovolcano formed over six million years ago and features four separate summits. Despite sitting within a desert landscape, Pissis carries a modest glaciated summit beginning at roughly 19,400 feet, a surprising feature given the arid surroundings.
4. Huascarán — 6,768 meters (22,205 feet)
Located in Peru’s Cordillera Blanca, Huascarán is the highest peak in Peru and the highest tropical mountain on Earth. Unlike the drier, volcanic peaks further south in Argentina and Chile, Huascarán carries significant glaciation, reflecting its position within one of the most heavily glaciated tropical mountain ranges in the world.
5. Cerro Bonete — 6,759 meters (22,175 feet)
Cerro Bonete sits within Argentina’s Cordillera Frontal and rounds out the top five, continuing the pattern of Argentine dominance among South America’s highest summits.
6. Nevado Tres Cruces — 6,748 meters (22,139 feet)
Located in Chile’s Cordillera Occidental, Nevado Tres Cruces forms part of a roughly 30-mile volcanic trail alongside Cerro El Muerto, El Solo, and neighboring peaks near Ojos del Salado. The mountain carries no glaciers but frequently receives snow, and archaeological evidence, including Inca structures, documents human ascents dating back to the 1400s—among them the summit’s Incan temple, considered the world’s second-highest ruins.
7. Llullaillaco — 6,739 meters (22,110 feet)
Straddling the Argentina-Chile border in the Cordillera Occidental, Llullaillaco is one of the most archaeologically significant peaks on this list. It’s renowned for the discovery of remarkably preserved Inca mummies near its summit, offering some of the most striking evidence of pre-Columbian high-altitude ceremonial activity anywhere in the Andes.
8. Cerro Mercedario — Approximately 6,770 meters (22,211 feet)
North of Aconcagua, Cerro Mercedario is the highest point of the Cordillera de la Ramada mountain range. It’s particularly known within the mountaineering community, with a climbing history dating back to 1934 and evidence suggesting possible Inca summit attempts as far back as the 1400s.
9. Tupungato — Approximately 6,570 meters (21,555 feet)
Tupungato, along with its companion peak Little Tupungato (also called Tupungatito), forms a lava dome and volcano duo on the Argentina-Chile border. Tupungatito remains an active volcano, distinguishing this pair from many of the dormant or extinct summits found elsewhere on this list.
10. Nevado Sajama — 6,542 meters (21,463 feet)
Rounding out the top ten, Nevado Sajama is the highest mountain in Bolivia, marking the point where this list moves beyond the Argentina-Chile border region that dominates the rest of the ranking. As an extinct stratovolcano, it stands as one of the most prominent and recognizable peaks in the Bolivian Andes.
Climbing Conditions Across These Peaks
Even though many of these mountains are technically volcanoes rather than traditional rock peaks, climbing them often feels like a true high-altitude mountaineering expedition—cold temperatures, strong winds, and long stretches across arid, high-desert terrain, particularly in the puna region that characterizes much of the Argentina-Chile border zone. Weather stability varies significantly by season and region, and while many of these standard routes don’t require technical climbing skills, the combination of extreme elevation and unpredictable conditions means none of them should be considered easy.
Join The Discussion
Have you climbed or trekked in the Andes, whether attempting one of these major summits or exploring the surrounding high-altitude landscapes? What surprised you most about conditions at extreme elevation, and do you have tips for others planning a high-Andes expedition? Share your experiences, questions, or recommendations below.
