An obligate parasite, or holoparasite, is a parasitic organism that cannot complete its life-cycle without exploiting a suitable host.
Part of the Andes mountain range, Aconcagua is the second highest of the Seven Summits, behind only Mount Everest in Asia. At 22,837 feet (6,961 meters), not only is it the highest mountain in South America, it is the tallest peak in all of the Americas as well as the Southern and Western Hemispheres.
Located only 55 km inland from sea level at Bellingham the volcano has dramatic relief. Mount Baker also achieves prominence as the 3rd highest summit in the state of Washington and as the iciest mountain in the Cascade Range. An unbelievable annual snowfall (world record of ~30 meters in 1998) sustains more than 100 square kilometers of glaciers and permanent snow fields.