South America is bustling with dense rainforests and towering mountains. Since there are hundreds of miles of plush greenery and a ton of tall mountains, there seems to be an endless amount of mountaineering locations. Thus, to help narrow it down, we have created a list of the top five South America mountaineering locations!

Top 5 South America Mountaineering Locations

1. The Inca Trail

The first location on our list is one of the most popular South America mountaineering locations. The Inca Trail is typically a four day mountaineering excursion. The total distance is approximately 24 miles. This historical trail begins in the Sacred Valley and leads to the infamous Machu Picchu. While mountaineering the Inca Trail, expect to see snowy mountains, glistening rivers, and plush forests.

2. Torres del Paine

The second South America mountaineering location is Torres del Paine (Towers of Paine). Located in Patagonia, Torres del Paine is one of South America's most popular national parks. The highest point in Torres del Paine is a little over 2,000 meters. Since Torres del Paine has an extremely developed infrastructure, it is advised to take your time mountaineering the full location. Mountaineering excursions in Torres del Paine typically take at least three days.

3. Cerro Fitz Roy

Located in El Chalten, Cerro Fitz Roy sits at 3,441 meters. This South America mountaineering location is home to extreme weather conditions. When mountaineering Cerro Fitz Roy, expect to endure a lot of wind, rain, and cold temperatures. When planning a to mountaineer Cerro Fitz Roy, expect to spend a few nights camping in El Chalten's world class camping sites.

4. Roraima

The next South America mountaineering location is Roraima. Roraima is home to miles of a plush tropical rainforest, which is perfect for mountaineering. One of the best spots to mountaineer in Roraima is Monte Roraima. Monte Roraima sits at 2,875 meters. It is a flat topped mountain that is situated near the Brazil/Venezuela/Guyana border. While you can choose to mountaineer Monte Roraima from either side, the most challenging and popular side to ascend Monte Roraima is from the Venezuelan side.

5. Cordillera Blanca

The last South America mountaineering location is Cordillera Blanca. Cordillera Blanca is known as the highest tropical mountain range in the world! There are a ton of fantastic mountaineering trails in Cordillera Blanca. A few of the most popular and challenging trails are; Nevado Huascaran (Peru's highest peak), Pucajirca, Nevado Quitaraju, and Nevado Santa Cruz.