Fitz Roy Grand Tour: January 2007

Translated by PROMT-Online-Translator

Country: Argentina (Patagonia) Tour / Mountain: Fitz Roy, Cerro Torre
Start: El Chalten End: El Chalten
Route: El Chalten, Fitz Roy, Cerro Torre, El Chalten
Distance:   Time: 7 days
Supply: self sufficient, water available    
Difficulties:

Quick weather changes and strong winds
Rating: One of the top tours in the world and also pretty easy
 
 
El Chalten (Argentina): El Chalten the starting point to explore the mountain world of the national park Parque lot Glariares with so famous mountains as Fitz Roy and Cerro Torre. Already in the first evening we have luck, because after sundown it clears up suddenly and we can catch a view at the mountain range.

 
Mt. Fitz Roy (Argentina).: With his 3405 m Fitz Roy is the highest mountain here in the area. In principle 3405 m are not so high at all, however because the mountain chain here rises directly from the padayonischen step it looks absolutely imposing. We want to explore the Parque Nacional lot Glaciares a little closer and thus we start with Mario to a 6-day trekking tour.


 
Glacier lake (Argentina).: We enjoy this marvellous view of the Fitz Roy with a cup of fresh tea from the Laguna Piedras Blancas into which Glaciar Piedras Blancas is coming down and with foating icebergs. Because my words do not manage to describe the breathtaking beauty I would like to ask everybody to come here, at least once!


 
Sunrise from the sleeping-bag (Argentina).: The best sunrise for Fitz Roy would be seen of course from the Laguna De los Tres. However, from our camp site it is a one-hour walk to the view point and that meant that we would already have had to march off at 5:00 o'clock and this is too early of course for me. So we simply start shortly after 6:00 o'clock and could admire thus Morning-red from our sleeping-bags.
 
Laguna De los Tres (Argentina).: After the first morning-red breakfast we first of all comfortably and then I come along in hope for a few nice photos on the trek to the lagoon De los Tres. Already in the eve we were together up here, however because the the sun was directly behind the Fitz Roy it was not possible to take photos, but we have enjoyed the view still in full trains. This was witty as the large part of the day tourists were already on the way home and so a crafty fox appeared and examined the area several times for food leftovers. Now in the morning I am almost alone up here and instead of the cracks and crash the glacier nothing is to be heard. And this is quite unusual, because here the wind ordinarily blows quite a lot, however, today it is so calm that the mountains are reflected the Laguna de los Tres.
 
Mountain view (Argentina).: We are really lucky because we can see Fitz Roy already since 3 days which is pretty unusual. As Mario was here the last time she has seen him never the whole time. The highest mountain is Fitz Roy and to the left follow Cerro Poincenot, Cerro Rafael and Antoine Saint Exupery (named after the author of the "Little Prince").
 
Rope bridge (Argentina).: When we in the Campground with the Cerro Torre view cloudes move in and so therewe can see the imposing mountain only up to half. The next day a small sand storm surprises us what to the result has nearly all our zippers in the tent made big problems. We want to see Cerro Torre, nevertheless, completely and so we decide that Mario and Nadine go back to El Chalten to buy new food. The next morning we again have a good view. We meet Falk, a climber from Dresden who unfortunately found no climbing partner for Cerro Torre. However, he has lent us kindly a climbing belt and a rope and thus we can cross the glacier river to reach to the Glaciar Torre. To have not all day tourists on the glacier there are because only 2 tense ropes with the help of those one must cross the river.
 
Cerro Torre (Argentina). : Cerro Torre is the highest mountain on the photo (on the right follow Cerro Egger and Cerro standard), and although he is only 3102 m high he counts with his ice cap to one of the most popular climbing trophies. Climbing-technically this gigantic granite rock would not be difficult at all (7-), however, the extreme weather conditions, in particular the Patagonian wind, as well as the ice-overcast summit make the climb quite extreme. The history of his first ascent is quite dramatic. First Cerro Torre was first climbed by Maestri and Egger, nevertheless, on the descent Egger fell to death. Because he had the camera with the summit photo Maestri could prove the summit success to nobody. Presumably because nobody wanted to believe him he despaired and so Maestri came back in the middle of the 70th armed with a compressorll and drilled himself virtually up to the summit. Now officially he was the first one at the summit, however, his method called of course again many critics (and envious people) on the plan.
 
Sunrise of Laguna Capri (Argentina).: Next morning we had again a wonderful view of the Cerro Torre with cloudless sky and then we went to the Laguna Capri, the last camp site in the park we had not attended yet. Although purely tent-technically of the Campamento Laguna Capri is not so nice it compensated us, thanks to the mountain panorama with sunrise next morning!
 
Camping in the outskirts (Argentina).: As if we had not admired the mountains already enough we pitch our tent after we came back from our trekking tour, on the free camp site in the southern edge of town of El Chalten. This time we could see from our tent virtually all summits, for which we also accepted with pleasure the neighborhood of all the luxury campers.
 

 

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