Monte San Valentín facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Monte San Valentin |
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San Valentin as seen from the shore of Lake General Carrera
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| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 4,058 m (13,314 ft) |
| Prominence | 3,696 m (12,126 ft) Ranked 42nd |
| Listing | Ultra |
| Geography | |
 Monte San Valentin
Location in Chile
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| Location | Patagonia, Chile |
| Parent range | Andes |
| Climbing | |
| Easiest route | major snow and ice climb |
Monte San Valentin, also called Monte San Clemente, is a very tall mountain located in Chilean Patagonia. It's the highest mountain in this part of Chile and the tallest mountain south of 37°S latitude, except for those in Antarctica. This impressive peak stands at the northern end of the North Patagonian Icefield, a huge area of ice and glaciers.
Climbing Monte San Valentin
Climbing Monte San Valentin is a big challenge for mountaineers. You can start the climb from two main places:
- From Lago Leones, which is to the southeast.
- From Laguna San Rafael, located to the west.
The journey to the top is very long and can be quite difficult. The weather around Monte San Valentin is often very bad, with strong winds and heavy snow. This makes the climb even harder and more dangerous.
How Tall is Monte San Valentin?
There has been some confusion about the exact height of Monte San Valentin over the years.
- In 1921, an early measurement by Nordenskjold suggested it was about 3,876 meters (12,716 feet) tall.
- Later, the height of 4,058 meters (13,314 feet) became the most commonly accepted number. This is the height usually reported.
In 1993, a group of French climbers included two surveyors. They used a GPS device to measure the mountain's height and calculated it to be about 4,080 meters (13,386 feet). Then, in 2001, a Chilean group also used GPS and measured it at around 4,070 meters (13,353 feet). Other modern data, like from SRTM and ASTER GDEM, also suggest the mountain is taller than 4,000 meters.
However, official maps from the Chilean IGM (Instituto Geográfico Militar) show the height as only 3,910 meters (12,828 feet). Chilean maps are usually very accurate. But because the top of Monte San Valentin is always covered in white snow and ice, it might have been hard for mapmakers to get a perfect measurement.
Related Places and Peaks
- List of mountains in the Andes
- Laguna San Rafael National Park
- Mount Hudson
- Cerro Castillo
- Cerro Arenales
- List of Ultras of South America
