Thursday, November 20, 2008

Patagonia Trek & Climb Underway!

Our first Patagonia trek of the Argentine summer season began this morning! Climbers started the day with a tour of Perito Moreno, one of the world's major ice flows.

Randy and Nick Solakian, along with photographer, Phil Starr, hiking around the Perito Moreno glacier.

The Perito Moreno ice flow is just a short drive from El Calafate, where our climbers met last night and got a taste of the local culture.


Enjoying great Argentine food and music at a open air restaurant in El Calafate. Photo by Phil Starr.

Our three climbers made their way back to El Calafate, and are now in the midst of a three and a half hour bus ride to El Chalten, a small mountain village at the base of Cerro Fitzroy Range.


Bust depot in El Calafate moments before departing for El Chalten. Photo by Phil Starr.

Tomorrow morning, Randy, Nick, and Phil will start the day with a brief gear check and orientation of their trip. They will then begin hiking to Campamento Bridwell base camp, located south of the Torre Glacier which flows between Cerro Torre on the west and Fitzroy on the east. In a few days they will be climbing Cerro Velluda below the east face of Fitzroy and then Gorra Blanca near the edge of the Patagonia Ice Cap.

Stay tuned!

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