Introduction

Mount Mercedario is located in the Ramada mountain range (Cordillera de la Ramada), a range constituted by six peaks over six thousand meters, whose highest summit is Mercedario. It's also the fourth tallest peak in America, preceded only by the Aconcagua, Ojos del Salado and Pissis.

From the province of San Juan in Argentina, it’s probably the only mountain of importance that can be seen. From the Chilean side, it can only be seen from the high summits, as well as from the coast in clear days. When seen from the high summits of the central area, it stands out thanks to the broad Ramada glacier on it´s north face. Perhaps, if it were located closer to Aconcagua, the latter’s magnificence would be threatened, due to the height and extension of the glacier system that surrounds Mercedario.

Mercedario is located some 60 kms north of Aconcagua, and has quite similar geographical features. In what they are clearly different, is in the environmental impact they’ve suffered. Mercedario, rarely visited, is in clear advantage. This allows for the spotting of guanacos, as well as the spotting of hares, condors, and a wide variety of mountain species quite easily.

It is thought that the Incas already climbed this mountain some 500 years ago. This assumption is based in archeological evidence, such as the remainings of curious constructions above 5.200 mts above sea level -an area that is now being used as campsite- together with the findings of some figures which might be of Inca origin.

Mercedario was one of the targets of the series of expeditions performed by a party of superb Polish climbers at the beggining of the 30´s. Attracted by the sayings of an Italian pilot, who, having seen it from the heights, suggested that Mercedario could be higher than Aconcagua, the Polish dared to visit the Mercedario—later they would climb Aconcagua by the “Glaciar de Polacos”, or Polish Glacier, on a first ascent and Ojos del Salado, also first ascent, in 1937. The main routes are: the Normal Route(or the Inca’s Route); the South Face or Japanese Route; the one that goes up the Caballito Glaciar; the Canalón Oxidado Route (Rusty Couloir); the West Ridge; and the West Face, the most technical of them all.

January 18th 2004 was the 70th anniversary of the first ascent of Mercedario. What is now known as the Normal Route, is in fact a variant of the Polish route, which hasn´t been repeated.

Extract from Ostrowski’s diary:

“…that night we camped at the Pichireguas valley, three thousand meters high. Here was the end of the area known by our “baqueano” [local horseman]. Unknown land lay beyond: valleys, passes, unknown and nameless summits, which didn’t even exist in the maps…”

Victor Ostrowski, 1934. Leader of the Polish expeditions to the Andes during the 30´s.