Page 259 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Argentina

P A T A GONIA  257

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