With the majestic Andes running the length of South America and other smaller chains found elsewhere, Latin America has an abundance of climbs just waiting to be tackled, not to mention the majority of the world’s tropical glaciers. You’ll find everything from stunning national parks with great some of the world’s best facilities to the back of beyond climbs with absolutely no facilities of any sort.
- Torre de Paron, Peru Near Huaraz in the Cordillera Blanca, aka the Sphinx, is one of the best known climbs in South America’s climbing Mecca in the heart of the Central Andes.
- Mount Fitzroy, Argentina One of the world’s ultimate climbs. The sheer rock pinnacle of this almost 13,125 foot peak in Los Glaciares National Park is highly technical and requires full scale mountaineering knowledge.
- Alpamayo, Peru The final 1,475 feet of the wall to the summit of what many consider the world’s most beautiful mountain is one of the most challenging ice climbs on the planet. A true test of strength and stamina.
- Cajón del Maipo, Chile This canyon and favorite recreational retreat just outside of Santiago is loaded with good climbs from Piedra Rommel and Torrecillas to Cerro San Gabriel and Placa Roja.
- Mount Roraima, Venezuela The largest of Venezuela’s mysterious cloud covered tepuis, or table top mountains, can be climbed from the Brazil and Guyana sides. These are highly technical climbs that have rarely done before. Easier routes can be had from the Venezuela side that require significant hiking.
- Southern Ice Fields, Chile Numerous routes exist across the world’s largest ice fields in Chile’s southern Patagonia. From the glaciers in Torres del Pain National Park to little known climbs along the Carreterra Austral. This popular climbing city is just twenty minutes from La Paz has numerous bolted routes ranging from 4a to 8b, though most are in the 6s. Notable climbs and routes are El Amor de Dios, el Pirate, and El Alas Del Deseo.
- Aranjuez, Bolivia
- El Gunko, Panama The coffee town of Boquette near the Costa Rican border has one of Central America’s best climbs, El Gunko, which has several grade 5 routes.
- Lake Amatitlán, Guetemala There are more than 20 intermediate routes ranging from 5.9 cracks to 5.12 open faces surrounding this ancient Mayan lake.
- Cuenca, Ecuador Although they aren’t record breaking climbs, the more than 250 routes around Cuenca in Southern Ecuador such Paute, Cojitambo, El Cajas, Girón, Sayausí, and Chacalata are quality.
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