February 12, 2006: Two days ago we travelled by bus from El Calafate to El Chalten, which sits at the foot of the mountain of the same name. The mountain has been renamed “Mount Fitzroy” after the captain of Charles Darwin’s ship, The Beagle, but its original name, which means “the smoking mountain” is more appropriate today. There’s been cloud hanging off the peak since we left our accommodation this morning.
|
February 12, 2006: Two days ago we travelled by bus from El Calafate to El Chalten, which sits at the foot of the mountain of the same name. The mountain has been renamed “Mount Fitzroy” after the captain of Charles Darwin’s ship, The Beagle, but its original name, which means “the smoking mountain” is more appropriate today. There’s been cloud hanging off the peak since we left our accommodation this morning.  Our first view of Mount Fitzroy, with typical Argentinean pampas in the foreground.
Yesterday we walked for 34 kilometers, climbing up the mountain to the base camp for Mount Fitzroy and then travelling along a valley below the peaks to a vantage point that provided a clear view of Cerro Torres. The Lowepro slingshot backpack was a superb companion for such a trip as it was comfortable to carry, yet made the camera – and the small amount of other gear it contained, quickly and easily accessible. I was also very happy with the Nikkor VR 18-200mm lens, which allowed me to shoot with shutter speeds of 1/30 and 1.40 second, even at full tele extension. This lens also enabled me to take expansive wide-angle shots and the zoom in for close-ups of the mountain peaks.  A tele shot of Mount Fitzroy from the main tourist vantage point. The base camp we climbed to is just behind the low outcrop in the foreground; a walk of roughly 8 kilometres and a climb of approximately 800 metres.  The view of Mount Fitzroy and its glacier and glacial lake from the base camp used as a starting point for climbers. Not surprisingly, most tourists go no further than the edge of the lake. Whereas exposure compensation was essential for shots of the Perito Moreno glacier, up here normal exposure works just fine as there is much less ice and more moraine (rock fragments) mixed up in it. Many of the rivers here look milky due to fine particles of suspended rock fragments, which have been eroded away by the passage of the glaciers and end up floating for many kilometres down the streams. Most of the lakes, in contrast, are crystal clear due to the passage of the water over rock faces. You can even drink the water!  Part of our walk took us past several alpine lakes, where the water was crystal clear and clean enough to drink – although too cold for swimming. Some walkers can be seen resting on the lakeside beach in this shot. Yesterday’s weather was as close to perfection as it gets; clear blue sky with only a hint of cloud developing by mid afternoon. The clouds closed in around 5.30 pm as we headed back to El Chalten and have remained with us ever since.  A late afternoon view of Cerro Torre, one of the most difficult peaks in the world to climb. The mountain was strongly backlit and I had to call on one of our guides to shade my camera’s lens to prevent flare. You can see the gathering clouds that thickened by morning. Today we are picnicking beside Lago del Desierto (the lake of the desert), while the most adventurous and nimble-footed member of our party climbs the nearby Monte del Diabolo (Devil’s Mount) with our guides. The rest of us have been walking along the lakeside, enjoying the views. One member of the party has even tried fishing for trout with a rod he brought; sadly with little success. The rain held off until around midday, when a slight drizzle commenced. However, the wind has continued and I wouldn’t like to be on an exposed mountain top in these conditions.  A view of Lago del Desierto (the lake in the desert) showing the typical vegetation in areas that receive more rain.  A tele shot showing a typical alpine glacier, deeply pockmarked by moraine. These rock fragments are transported by the moving ice and end up filling the valley floors.  Clouds clustering around one of the minor peaks in the Los Glacieras National Park. These clouds lifted in the late afternoon, indicating just how changeable the weather in these alpine regions can be. Tomorrow we pack up and head for the El Calafate airport for a one hour flight south to Ushuaia, where we’ll prepare ourselves for three nights’ camping in Tierra del Fuego. I’ll be out of internet access during that time so my next report will probably be posted in about three days’ time. Margaret Brown is technical editor for Photo Review Australia Magazine.
Margaret’s Antarctica Post 1: The Preparation
|