Argentina
Fitz Roy
Welcome to Argentine Patagonia! Mount Fitz Roy is a dramatic spike of granite rising above the town of El Chaltén, its knife-edge peak often wrapped in swirling clouds.
Why is it famous?
Its sheer granite spire rises so sharply that it's considered one of the most difficult mountains in the world to climb.
Clouds often swirl around its jagged peak, which is how it got its indigenous name, Chaltén, meaning 'smoking mountain.'
How was it formed?
The mountain is a huge block of solid granite that was slowly uncovered as softer surrounding rock wore away over millions of years.
Ancient glaciers carved and sharpened its sides into the dramatic spikes and ridges seen today.
Amazing facts
Fitz Roy stands 11,171 feet (3,405 meters) tall, but its steep, smooth granite faces make it far harder to climb than many taller mountains.
It took mountaineers until 1952 to reach the summit for the very first time, when French climbers Lionel Terray and Guido Magnone made it to the top.
Quick facts
- Fitz Roy stands 11,171 feet (3,405 meters) tall, but its steep, smooth granite faces make it far harder to climb than many taller mountains.
- It took mountaineers until 1952 to reach the summit for the very first time, when French climbers Lionel Terray and Guido Magnone made it to the top.
- The mountain sits inside Los Glaciares National Park, home to glaciers, turquoise lakes, and the famous Perito Moreno Glacier.
- Fitz Roy's jagged silhouette is so iconic that it inspired the mountain logo used by a well-known outdoor clothing company.