Part 3 in a series: If you want a selfie with the Patagonian peaks that make up Argentina’s iconic Fitz Roy massif, you have to earn it. Expect wind, rain and steep ascents. Watch out for stinging caterpillars and feral cows. Photo bombs by meandering cloud banks may drive you mad.
First glimpse
We caught our first glimpse of the storied collection of soaring rock pillars and ice-blue glaciers that includes Monte Fitz Roy as it rose from the dusty Patagonian Desert on a blustery bus ride from the El Calafate International Airport to the village of El Chaltén.
The thrill of spotting Andean condors, Chilean flamingoes and families of skittish guanacos (wild llamas) amid the desert chaparral yielded easily to the anticipation of empanada-fueled hiking bliss as the cloud-veiled profile made famous by the logo of a certain brand of outdoor clothing almost came into view.
The amateur photographers in the group – that would be all of us – clamored from the bus into the gale winds near the entrance to Los Glaciares National Park to capture the classic skyline, bracing ourselves against fence posts, the bus and each other hoping for that money shot.
Alas, a tattered but persistent cloud cover refused to give way. No matter. We would have three days to capture that selfie.
Base camp
Every expedition needs a comfortable base camp. The Hostería El Pilar experience includes expertly prepared farm-to-table fare and belt-busting desserts, happy hour around a warm fire each evening, and a hot breakfast at daybreak to fuel the day.
Add 11 convivial traveling companions, our enthusiastic and knowledgeable leader Rob Noonan (aka “Blanquito”), two expert regional guides, one lovable driver, and a trio of lodge hosts who were as warm as the pot-bellied stove that heated the dining room each morning, and you’ve gone beyond comfort.
Did we mention the view from the dining table? The Geek wasn’t the only photographer to venture into the early morning chill on our last morning to capture the changing light on the nearby peaks. Lolling in front of the warm stove, Coca the cat must have thought they were nuts.
Blown away at Laguna Torre
Our first hike at Los Glaciares National Park knocked The Geek on her backside … literally.
We gained about 1,000 feet of elevation as we gradually ascended to the shore of Laguna Torre through groves of lenga beech trees with just a breath of fall color. The trail crossed a pair of ridge lines before dropping into a valley dominated by Rio Fitz Roy charging through glacial moraine.
As we approached the lake and its view of three classic towering stone peaks, we donned our rain coats and pack covers to protect against a steady wind-driven mist that became a monsoon as we staggered up the terminal moraine in a final assault on the elevated shoreline.
The 50 mph jet stream swooping down Glaciar Grande had whipped the lake into a frenzy, with silt-filled breakers the color of milk-chocolate breaking over crystal blue ice bergs not far from shore. The scene was surreal. Alien even.
As she tried to brace herself to snap a few images, The Geek in her billowing rain gear found herself lifted into the air on nylon wings and deposited on her backside before retreating.
On a clear day we would have seen a spectacular view of Cerro Torre (10,280 feet), Torre Egger (9,350 feet) and Cerro Standhardt (8,956 feet). But not this day.
Tantalized at Loma del Pliegue Tumbado
Day 2 of our quest for the perfect Fitz Roy selfie took us up a steady incline through a forest covered with stinging caterpillars and a pasture occupied by feral cows to Loma del Pliegue Tumbado, a ridge with an amazing 360-degree panoramic view.
The fuzzy black caterpillars with red bellies were plentiful on branches and the trail itself, feasting on the leaves of drought weakened lenga. We flicked off the occasional hitchhiker using our trekking poles, and more than a few of the creepy crawlers were crushed underfoot into a translucent green goo. Above the forest, signs cautioned us to beware of “vacas salvajes” as we entered their grassland, but the wild cows neither charged nor menaced. Mostly they looked kinda grumpy.
The overlook yielded a clear view of Rio Fitz Roy and the now calm Laguna Torre deep in the valley below, and the turquoise waters of Viedma and the desert over our shoulders. But thin, overlapping banks of clouds limited our view of the individual peaks and glaciers to glimpses and teases.
The clouds nearly lifted on the trudge home to the warmth of El Pilar, our cozy hostería. But not quite. Alas.
(Note: See all 360 degrees of the view from Loma del Pliegue Tumbado in a video at the end of this post.)
The Full Fitz Roy
We stepped off on our third and final attempt at an ultimate Fitz Roy massif moment beneath clear blue skies. Our primary obstacles for the day proved to be other hikers and the final ascent.
The trail grew crowded as our route from the lodge merged with the primary path up from El Chaltén. The final push of more than an hour to the base of Mount Fitz Roy was a 1,200-foot slog up what at times was a 60 percent grade. A line of hikers snaked up loose rocks and gravel and stone steps at highly individual rates of speed.
Adopting a “heel toe” pace, MontaraManDan fell further and further behind our group. The Geek’s knees groaned.
And just when it seemed the climb would never end, it did. And there it was, the Full Fitz Roy – Torre, Egger, Techado Negro, Saint-Exupery, Raphael Juarez, Poincenot, Fitz Roy, Mermoz, Guilloumet – rising thousands of feet above Laguna de Los Tres and framed in brilliant blue.
We munched our bag lunch. We wandered down the rocky terminal moraine to the lake. We snapped our selfies and portraits. But mostly we admired the view, intent on delaying the next challenge. Climbing back down.
Three-day Metrics
- Miles hiked: 45
- Steps taken: 100,000+
- Vertical feet climbed: 6,100
- Stinging caterpillars crushed under foot: 268
- Savage cows annoyed: 4
- Regrets: 0
This is the third a series of posts on our hiking tour of Patagonia, booked through Berkeley, CA-based Wilderness Travel. We have received no compensation for writing these posts. The observations and opinions expressed are entirely our own. Your results may vary.
Part 1: Passion, Politics and Empanadas Flavor our Buenos Aries Cultural Sampler
Part 2: Living the Penguin Dream at the “End of the World” in Patagonia
Part 3: Playing Hide & Seek with Fitz Roy in Patagonia; Beward of Stinging Caterpillers
Part 4: Alone time above Estancia Helsingfors at Los Glaciares National Park in Patagonia
Part 5: A Million Dollar View with a Slip ‘n’ Slide Descent at Torres del Paine
Part 6: Assessing the Ascencio Valley Trail at Torres del Paine: Is it ‘Just a Hike’?
This looks absolutely stellar! Thankfully, I didn’t encounter these caterpillars on my own trip to Fitz Roy.
Thank you! Some of the forest land at certain altitudes was nearly defoliated. We were told it could rally next spring. We hope so!
[…] The next morning, after a leisurely breakfast, our local guide set a brisk pace as we began a nine-mile round trip from the lodge to Laguna Azul, a stunning blue glacial lake 2,100 feet above Viedma in the shadow of Cerro Norte, one of the towering stone peaks that make up the Fitz Roy massif. […]
[…] Part 3: Playing Hide & Seek with Fitz Roy in Patagonia; Beward of Stinging Caterpillers […]
[…] Part 3: Playing Hide & Seek with Fitz Roy in Patagonia; Beward of Stinging Caterpillers […]
[…] Las Torres to the base of the towers requires 2,800 feet of elevation gain. From our vantage point, we had conquered those Patagonia metrics 10 days earlier in Argentina’s Los Glaciares National Park. Ascencio Valley? No problem. […]
[…] The Ridge Trail does not include the best portions of the Purisima Creek Trail. And the hike up the Harkins Ridge Trail is kind of a slog. On several grades I had to briefly resort to the heel-toe trick I embraced to survive much-longer climbs to glacial lakes in Argentina two winters ago. I’m not sure it’s worth the effort beyond logging Ridge Trail miles. Harkins Ridge is not Mount Fitz Roy. […]
[…] last time we encountered wind this big was at Los Glaciares National Park in Argentina, where Dawn was lifted off her feet as we crested the moraine field below Laguna […]