Monte Pissis
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Monte Pissis | |
---|---|
Elevation | 6,793 metres (22,287 ft) |
Location | La Rioja Province, Argentina |
Range | Andes |
Prominence | 2,138 m (7,014 ft) |
Coordinates | Coordinates: |
Type | Stratovolcano |
Easiest route | hike |
Monte Pissis is an extinct volcano in La Rioja Province, Argentina. The mountain is the third highest in the Western Hemisphere, and is located about 550 km north of Aconcagua.
Due to its location in the Atacama Desert, the mountain has very dry conditions with snow only remaining on the peak during winter. The mountain is very high and remote, however the ascent is but a hike, albeit a long one.
In 1994 it was claimed by Argentine authorities that an advanced GPS survey had determined that the elevation of Monte Pissis was 6,882 m, and higher than Ojos del Salado, but SRTM data and several modern GPS surveys have proved that this widely reproduced and repeated claim is incorrect.[1][2][3][4]
In 2007, a Chilean-European expedition performed a precise survey on both Ojos del Salado and Monte Pissis, using more accurate instruments. It has provisionally found the former to be 6,891 m and the latter 6,793 m.[5]