Stunning Images - Mount Fitzroy, Los Glaciares National Park, Patagonian Andes, Argentina

Stunning Images - Mount Fitzroy, Los Glaciares National Park, Patagonian Andes, Argentina

Mount Fitz Roy, the highest mountain in Los Glacieres National Park, rises 3,405 m (11,168 ft) above the bare, sculpted mountains with blowing snow to a peak that only serious climbers will even consider. Its neighbor, 3,128 m (10,260 ft) Cerro Torre is no easier to crest, but their magnificent spires crown the parkland with its most recognizable formation.

Serious climbers can attempt either mountain between November and February, but keep in mind that even in summer, clear days are not guaranteed. Less ambitious hikers will find wonderful trails up into the granite wonderland, nowhere near the apex but high enough to enjoy views across the flowering fields and crystaline lakes.

Stunning Images - Mount Fitzroy, Los Glaciares National Park, Patagonian Andes, Argentina

Fitzroy (also known as Cerro Fitzroy, Cerro Chaltel, Chaltén, and Monte Fitz Roy, 3,375 meters / 11,073 feet) is the highest spire in a compact range of granite (granodiorite) peaks in Parque Nacional Los Glaciares, in Argentine Patagonia. Named after Captain Robert Fitzroy of the HMS Beagle, Fitzroy thrusts above the Argentine plains and Southern Icecap together with its companion peaks Cerro Poincenot, Aguja Rafael, and Aguja Saint Exupery. The peaks are located near the neighboring Cerro Torre group outside of the small village of El Chaltén, reached by bus from the tourist center El Calafate.

Fitzroy was first climbed by the Southeast Ridge (today also known as the Franco-Argentine ridge) on February 2, 1952 by Lionel Terray and Guido Magnone, members of a French expedition. The standard route used today is a variation of the first ascent route (the Franco-Argentine route), consisting of 600 meters VI/VI+ A2. Routes on the Southeast Ridge have remained frequently climbed since the first ascent, although at least 15 major routes have been put up on the peak. Other notable routes include the Southwest Ridge (aka the Californian route), which was the standard route until the linking of the Franco-Argentine routes, and the Supercanelata on the West-Northwest face (VI WI 5)