- Address: Ruta Provincial 23, Santa Cruz Province, Patagonia, Argentina
- Date of first ascent: 2.02.1952.
- Height: 3405 m
One of the natural attractions of Patagonia is Fitzroy - a mountain top, famous for its harsh beauty and is considered one of the most difficult climbing peaks in the world. The Fitzroy peak was named in honor of the explorer of South America, the captain of the Beagle ship, the one on which Charles Darwin went on a round-the-world voyage.
Where is the mountain?
Mount Fitzroy on the political map of the world does not have a clear "propiska": it has not been determined yet where exactly the border between Argentina and Chile lies in the region of the mountain. The national park in which the mountain Fitzroy is located, in Argentina is called Los Glaciares , continues also in the territory of Chile, only has a different name - Bernardo-O'Higgins.
However, the ascent to Fitzroy is more often performed by Argentina. The mountain is very popular both with professional mountaineers and ordinary tourists: several pedestrian routes pass along its slopes.
What is interesting about this mountain?
Fitzroy impresses with his monumental multi-headed ensemble. The silhouette is strongly jagged, many find it resembling the jaws of a dragon or other fantastic animal. Particularly beautiful is Mount Fitzroy in the rays of the setting sun: it sits just between two peaks and beautifully colors them, and also gives rise to various visual illusions.
Often the peaks are hidden in the haze, and sometimes in dense clouds - it's not for nothing that the Teulxe Indians residing here call the mountain "Chalten", which translates as "a smoking mountain". However, the clouds usually do not last too long, the veil dissipates, and the mountain opens in all its glory.
At the foot of the mountain and along its slopes there are several walking routes. They begin mainly in the village of El Chalten , where a trail with a length of about 10 km leads to the mountain. From the slopes of the mountain offer stunning views of Chalten, the valley of the Rio Blanco, Lake Laguna de los Tres. By the way, it is the most "top" point of all pedestrian routes - only climbers are allowed to climb higher.
Mountain climbing
For the first time the peak of Fitzroy was conquered in February 1952. Two French climbers, Guido Magnon and Lionel Terrai, climbed to the very top along the southeastern ridge of the mountain. Until now, the route laid by them is considered to be classical and one of the most repeatable ones. However, later were laid and others - today the main routes are 16, and the most popular of them are the Californian, which runs along the south-western slope, and the SuperCanelata, laid along the north-west wall of the mountain. Full traverse Fitzroy was carried out in 2012 by American climbers.
Climbing Fitzroy on any of the routes is quite complicated: in addition to the fact that the walls of the mountain are almost vertical, the weather conditions are also not very favorable. Strong winds dominate here, and bright sun rays blind travelers. Therefore, the mountain is popular only with self-confident professionals. Less experienced climbers prefer to conquer Cerro Electrico and other neighboring peaks.
How to get to Mount Fitzroy?
At the foot of the mountain is the village of El Chalten . It can be reached from El Calafate by Chalten Travel and Caltur bus services. The journey takes about 3 hours. For the same time, you can come by car from El Calafate by RP11, RN40 and RP23. However, during the rainy season, the road can take twice as much time, because the quality of the coating in some places leaves much to be desired.