A joint team from the Argentine and British armed forces is preparing to climb the highest mountain on the American continent.

The men, eight from each side, aim to reach the peak of the Aconcagua mountain, which rises nearly seven thousand metres above the Argentine-Chilean border.

The climbers say they hope the operation will contribute to boost relations between the countries, which went to war in 1982 over the sovereignty of the Falkland Islands.

If the weather remains fine, they hope to complete the ascent in eight days.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service