Seven Countries Along the Full Length of the Andes

The Andes run ~7,000 km along South America's western spine. Traveling their entire length means crossing seven countries:

1. Venezuela – Cordillera de Mérida (Pico Bolívar 4,978 m). Northern terminus.
2. Colombia – Three cordilleras (Occidental, Central, Oriental). Nevado del Ruiz (5,321 m), Bogotá on the Altiplano.
3. Ecuador – Avenue of Volcanoes: Cotopaxi, Chimborazo (farthest point from Earth's center), Quito (2,850 m).
4. Peru – Core Andes: Huascarán (6,768 m, tropics' highest), Cusco, Machu Picchu, Colca Canyon, Altiplano (shared).
5. Bolivia – Altiplano: Lake Titicaca (3,812 m, highest navigable), Salar de Uyuni, Illimani, Sajama (6,542 m).
6. Chile – Eastern border: Ojos del Salado (6,893 m, world's highest volcano), Chuquicamata copper, Torres del Paine (patagonian Andes).
7. Argentina – Western border: Aconcagua (6,961 m, highest outside Asia), Mendoza wine, Los Glaciares (Fitz Roy, Perito Moreno).

Geologic Note

The Andes are a continuous orogenic belt—but segmented by tectonics (flat-slab vs. steep subduction), climate (tropical → mediterranean → subpolar), and culture (Inca heartland → Mapuche territory).

One road (Pan-American Highway fragments) doesn't connect it all. A true traverse = expeditions, not a road trip.