Monte Fitz Roy Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Monte Fitz Roy
Monte Fitz Roy in 2013
Highest point
Elevation	3,405 m (11,171 ft)
Prominence	1,951 m (6,401 ft)
Listing	Ultra
Geography
Monte Fitz Roy Location in Southern Patagonia
Location	Patagonia, Argentina—Chile border
Parent range	Andes
Geology
Mountain type	Granite
Climbing
First ascent	1952 by Lionel Terray & Guido Magnone
Easiest route	Franco Argentina (650m., 6a+, 6c/A1)

Monte Fitz Roy, also called Cerro Chaltén, is a famous mountain in Patagonia. It stands tall on the border between Argentina and Chile. You can find it near the village of El Chaltén and Viedma lake, in a huge area of ice called the Southern Patagonian Ice Field. Brave climbers Lionel Terray and Guido Magnone from France were the first to reach its top in 1952.

Discovering Fitz Roy
- First European Sightings
- Naming the Mountain
Where is Fitz Roy?
Amazing Climbs
Images for kids
See also

Discovering Fitz Roy

First European Sightings

The first Europeans to see Monte Fitz Roy were a group led by Spanish explorer Antonio de Viedma. They reached the shores of Viedma lake in 1783.

Naming the Mountain

Later, in 1877, an Argentine explorer named Francisco Moreno saw the mountain. He decided to name it Fitz Roy. This was to honor Robert FitzRoy, who was a captain of the ship HMS Beagle. Captain FitzRoy had explored the Santa Cruz River in 1834 and mapped much of the Patagonian coast.

The word Cerro means "hill" in Spanish. The name Chaltén comes from the Tehuelche people, who are native to the area. For them, "Chaltén" meant "smoking mountain." This is because clouds often form around the mountain's peak, making it look like it's smoking. The Tehuelche people actually called several peaks "Chaltén," not just Fitz Roy.

Where is Fitz Roy?

Monte Fitz Roy is a symbol for the Argentine Santa Cruz Province. You can even see it on the province's coat of arms!

The border between Argentina and Chile goes right over the main peak of Fitz Roy. However, a large part of the border south of the mountain is still being decided.

Amazing Climbs

Climbing Monte Fitz Roy is very challenging. Here are some of the most notable ascents:

1952: First Ascent
- Lionel Terray and Guido Magnone from France were the first to climb the mountain. They reached the top on February 2, 1952, using a path called the Southeast Ridge.
1965: Second Ascent
- Carlos Comesaña and José Luis Fonrouge from Argentina completed the second climb. They used a route called Supercanaleta and finished in two and a half days.
1968: The Californian Route
- A group known as the "Fun Hogs" made the third ascent. This group included Yvon Chouinard, who later started the outdoor clothing company Patagonia.
1986: First Winter Ascent
- Eduardo Brenner, Sebastián De La Cruz, and Gabriel Ruiz from Argentina made the first climb during winter. They climbed the Supercanaleta route over three days in July.
2014: The Fitz Traverse
- Between February 12 and 16, Tommy Caldwell and Alex Honnold completed an amazing feat. They climbed across the entire ridge-line of Monte Fitz Roy and its nearby peaks. This long journey was called the "Fitz Traverse." It was about 5 kilometers long and involved climbing up about 4000 meters.