Exploring the Andes en Español Quiz

The standard translation for "mountain" in Spanish is "montaña." But many peaks in the Andes have a proper name with the preface "Cerro," which usually translates in English to "hill." Even Aconcagua, the highest mountain in the Western Hemisphere, is sometimes called Cerro Aconcagua, quite an understatement per English understanding.

A mountain range, such as the Andes, is a "cordillera," so the Andes Mountains are "Cordillera de los Andes." Many of the mountains in the Andes are volcanic.

The Spanish word for "glacier" is "glaciar," just a simple change in spelling and pronunciation. The Andes are rich with glaciers throughout the mountain range. Los Glaciares National Park in Argentina is the largest giant ice cap outside of the polar regions.

Much of the incredible topography of the Andes was carved by glaciation, in addition to the active plate tectonics, so glaciers are largely to thank for the beauty of the Andes.

One Spanish word for "cliff" is "precipicio," which most closely translates to "precipice." Other synonyms include "barranco," implying a steep drop into a ravine, "acantilado," which implies a steep cliff along the coast into the water below, or "farallón," a special case that implies a nearly vertical rock face of certain shape jutting out of the water.

The combination of glaciation and tectonic activity has created a wealth of "precipicios" all across the Andes.

One Spanish word for "waterfall" is "cascada," with similar origin to the English word "cascade." One synonym is "catarata," or cataracts, often implying a series of rapids, rather than a tall plunge of water. Another synonym is "salto de agua," literally meaning "leap of water." The glaciers throughout the Andes become potential sources for waterfalls over the many cliffs. Salto de Apoquindo is a popular waterfall just outside of Santiago, Chile.

The Spanish word for "lake" is generally "lago," but the term implies a relatively large body of water. The Andes are full of small mountain lakes created by glaciation, either as endorheic reservoirs or small but pristine lakes continually fed by glacier runoff.

These lakes are typically named "laguna." The term "laguna" shares its root with the English word "lagoon." Laguna Esmeralda, outside of Ushuaia in Argentina's Tierra del Fuego province, is a prime example of breath-taking beauty. Lago Titicaca is the largest lake in South America and the highest navigable body of water in elevation, in the Andes, straddling the Peru-Bolivia border.

One Spanish word for "stream" is "arroyo." A stream that flows through a ravine is often called a "quebrada," while "riachuelo" is another synonym, meaning "creek." Arroyos in the Andes often flow from the base of glaciers as they melt, and hiking trails often run alongside arroyos. Sometimes while hiking in the Andes, hiking trails and arroyos overlap, resulting in wet hiking boots.

The Spanish word for "trail" is typically "sendero." A trailhead is "comienza del sendero," literally "start of the trail." To specify a hiking trail, "ruta de senderismo" can be used, literally translated as "route of hiking." A multitude of fantastic senderos can be found all throughout the Andes, of varying length and difficulty.

The Spanish word for "forest" is "bosque," which can also mean woodland. The Andes stretch from Tierra del Fuego in the south, across the equator, to the northern reaches in Venezuela. Likewise, the nature of the woodland in the Andes is significantly diverse across the range of latitudes. Much of the northern Andes can be considered rainforest, or "selva" in Spanish.

The Spanish word for "stone" is "piedra." The term "roca" is used for "rock," and sometimes "peña" or "canto rodado" for "boulder." The glacier-carved valleys of the Andes are full of scattered rocks, left behind by glaciers as glacial moraine.

The Spanish word for "meadow" is "prado." A synonym is "campo," implying a field, while another synonym is "pradera," akin to grassland. Often while hiking in the Andes, one can come across a green meadow alongside an arroyo, tucked within a glacial valley, in the shadow of a glacier covered mountain, and it is akin to finding a paradise oasis.