Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
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Sendero Piedra del Fraile
Hikers wishing to further
explore the national park
should make the trek to Piedra
del Fraile, a base camp located
at the northern edge of the
massif. A 4-hour trail to the
camp starts at Campo
Poincenot and follows the
Río Blanco and Río Eléctrico
valleys. The trail skirts
Glaciar
Piedras Blancas
and passes
through quiet
lenga
forests.
The latter half of the trail offers
great views of Mount Fitz Roy's
north face.
On reaching Piedra del Fraile
there is a private camping
ground with hot water and
cabins. Trails from Piedra del
Fraile lead up to the
Southern
Patagonian Ice Field
. Week-
long expeditions to the ice
fields, suitable only for experi-
enced snow- and ice-trekkers,
can be organized with tour
operators in El Chaltén.
Laguna
Condor
Playita
Laguna
Azul
Lago
Eléctrico
Piedra del
Fraile
Laguna Piedras
Blancas
Laguna
de los Tres
Mount Fitz Roy
11,168 ft
Poincenot
í
Laguna
Sucia
Laguna
Madre
Cerro Standhart
9,186 ft
Torre Egger
9,514 ft
Laguna
Capri
Agostini
Cerro Torre
10,280 ft
El
Chaltén
Laguna
Torre
Cerro Grande
9,200 ft
Río
El Calafate
Toro
Puerto Bahía
Túnel
Lago
Toro
Lago
Viedma
caves or a 1.5-hour trek across
the glacier's icy surface.
Professional guides provide
equipment, including cram-
pons. The guides are all
knowledgeable and speak both
Spanish and English. Many tour
operators run excursions to the
glacier from El Chaltén.
0 kilometers
0 miles
5
5
Key
Minor road
Trail
The Cerro Torre Controversy
It was hailed as the greatest mountaineering feat of all time but
many doubt that it actually happened. On January 28, 1959, Italian
climber Cesare Maestri, together with Austrian Toni Egger, set out
to scale the unconquered Cerro Torre, then considered the world's
toughest peak. Six days later, Maestri alone reached the base. He
said that both Egger and he had made it to the summit but the
Austrian had been killed by an avalanche on their descent. The pair's
camera was also lost in the accident. One of the greatest climbers of
his day, Maestri demanded to be taken on his word. Investigations
found no trace of the
pair's equipment beyond
the lower reaches.
Embittered, Maestri's
response to his critics
was to make two more
attempts to climb
the summit, but in vain.
Now in his seventies, he
still holds that he and
Egger were the first to
conquer Cerro Torre.
View of Glaciar Viedma rising from the
waters of Lago Viedma
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Glaciar Viedma
Covering an immense area of
378 sq miles (978 sq km), this
vast river of ice is the biggest
glacier in South America. Boat
excursions to its 131-ft (40-m)
high face leave from
Puerto
Bahía Túnel
on Lago Viedma's
northern shore. Most trips
range from 2 to 6 hours in
length. The longer excursions
are the most spectacular,
allowing visitors to disembark
and see the magnificent glacier
close-up. There are also
undemanding hikes that can be
arranged to the beautiful glacial
The Italian mountaineer Cesare Maestri
For keys to symbols
see back flap
