Mountaineering fatalities on Aconcagua: 2001-2012.

High altitude mountaineering is a dangerous endeavor due to the hypoxic hypobaric environment, extreme weather, and technical skills required. One of the seven summits, Aconcagua (6962 m) is the highest mountain outside of Asia. Its most popular route is nontechnical, attracting >3000 mountaineers annually.

Prior altitude experience of climbers attempting to summit Aconcagua.

Aconcagua (6962 m) is one of the seven summits and the highest mountain outside of Asia. Climbers of varying experience are drawn to its nontechnical route. Our objective was to detail the prior altitude experience of climbers attempting to summit Aconcagua.

Visual analog scale (VAS) for assessment of acute mountain sickness (AMS) on Aconcagua.

Objective: The Lake Louise AMS Self-Report Score (LLSelf) is a commonly used, validated assessment of acute mountain sickness (AMS). We compared LLSelf and visual analog scales (VAS) to quantify AMS on Aconcagua (6962 m).

Methods: Prospective observational cohort study at Plaza de Mulas base camp (4365 m), Aconcagua Provincial Park, Argentina.

Postexercise peripheral oxygen saturation after completion of the 6-minute walk test predicts successfully reaching the summit of Aconcagua.

Objective: The 6-minute walk test (6MWT) is a single measurement of functional status in patients with cardiovascular disease. It has not been studied at high altitude. We investigate the screening value of 6-minute walk distance (6MWD) and postexercise vital sign (VS) measurements as predictors of successfully reaching the summit or development of acute mountain sickness (AMS) on Aconcagua (6962 m).

Determinants of acute mountain sickness and success on Mount Aconcagua (6962 m).

To investigate the determinants of acute mountain sickness (AMS) and of summiting in expedition-style mountaineering, 919 mountaineers (15.4% female) leaving Aconcagua Provincial Park at the end of an expedition to Mt. Aconcagua (6962 m) via the normal route were retrospectively evaluated by questionnaires.