A glance at the six most prominent summits around Latitude 47° South
This is a brief description of
mountains between the 46th and 48th parallel that are ranked as "Ultras", meaning that they stand out because their prominence is above 1500 meters.
Topographical prominence is derived from a mathematical
formula that is graphically explained in Wikepedia and Peakbagger websites:
I have chosen to define my region as
the “Patagonia Park Area” because the Park is in the center and the name serves
as a reference to this transboundary section of southern South America. The six
most prominent mountains can be spotted from the recently created Patagonia National Parks
in Argentina and Chile.
Various maps and sources have been studied to determine the most accurate height interpretations. Discrepancies abound in this largely unexplored wilderness.
Observations and questions are welcome.
I hope you enjoy this armchair
exploration as much as I do.
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| The area and the location of its six most prominent mountains |
THE SIX PROMINENT GIANTS
SAN VALENTIN – 4032 m
Its exact height remains
controversial, with some sources indicating 4058 meters or even a little more. But
it is the undisputed giant of a large domain: you would need to travel 1,132 km
in a straight line to northern Patagonia to find a higher summit (Volcán
Domuyo). San Valentin´s prominence is 3,696 meters, certifying it as # 1 for the
entire Patagonia and # 5 in all of South America.
San Valentín is a bulky massif with
high shoulders rising from the North Patagonia Icecap. To the south stand Pico
de Plata (3725 m) and Cerro Fiero (3415 m), arguably different mountains for
climbers, but considered as secondary summits for the purpose of this survey
since their proximity to San Valentín renders their prominence and isolation
values negligible.
With the right conditions, the glaciated
bulk of San Valentin is visible from a staggering 200 km away!
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| San Valentin as seen from the east. Main summit in the center, with Pico de Plata on the left and unnamed shoulder on the right (Photo by Francisco Croxatto) |
SAN LORENZO – 3706 m
This solitary giant is located
easterly of the main ranges and therefore rises spectacularly when viewed from
Argentina. San Lorenzo´s 10 km ridgeline, entirely above 3000 meters, marks the
international border. Its main axis runs in a North-South direction connecting
several very high secondary summits that drop off in all directions.
Its prominence is a very significant 3319
m, which puts it as # 2 in Patagonia and a respectable # 9 in all of South
America. Its glistening glaciers and rock faces can be seen as a massive block
crowned with an elegant summit from a distance close to 200 km. Due to its
easterly location it gets better weather than the Icecap mountains. It is an
absolute eye-catcher easy to admire from Route 40 and fulfills the “dream
mountain” requisites.
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| San Lorenzo as seen from the east. Its entire ridge is above 3300 meters |
ARENALES – 3365 m
This mountain might in fact be a
dormant or extinct volcano. It´s difficult to say because it lies deep in the
North Patagonia Icecap. Its bulbous, fully glaciated summit (3365 m) stands out
but its prominence (1900 m) is not outstanding because Arenales is connected
over a relatively high ridge to San Valentín which lies 64 km to the north.
Arenales can be spotted from high
points along the road in Valle Chacabuco and even from vantage locations due
east in Argentina.
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| Arenales rises in the distance. Notice the icecap, seen as a white horizon on the right. This is a view from the east in Patagonia Park Chile. (Photo borrowed from Tompkins Conservation) |
PENITENTES – 2943 m
An important mountain
sometimes overshadowed by its proximity to San Lorenzo, which stands to the
west across a deep glacial valley. The key col connecting them lies at a very
low 1331 meters above sea level. As a result, the prominence of Penitentes is 1612
m, enough to qualify as an Ultra.
Penitentes is an
attractive single-summit mountain that looks like a smaller sibling of San
Lorenzo from the vicinity of Route 40.
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| Penitentes as seen from the east in the Rio Lacteo valley, Perito Moreno National Park (Photo by Tomas and Silvestro Franchini) |
ZEBALLOS – 2700+ m
A volcanic massif with half a dozen
summits reaching up to 2700 m sitting on a vast basaltic plateau known as
Meseta Lago Buenos Aires. A unique mountain that looks flattened due to its
very wide base, lies to the east of the Andes and rises from the steppe.
Zeballos has a very respectable prominence value of 2228 m, ranking #9 in all
of Patagonia.
The Zeballos Volcanic Complex
features a sizeable glacier and smaller debris-covered bodies of ice hidden
between the ridges of what may have been craters obliterated by erosion. It´s
probably the first geographic landmark placed on a regional map (in 1880) since
it is visible from a great distance. It is also a tehuelche sacred
mountain where, according to legend, the world was created.
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| Zeballos as seen from the southeast in the Meseta Lago Buenos Aires (Patagonia National Park Argentina) |
CASTILLO – 2675 m
A very attractive mountain and a
frequent “post-card image” of the area. It has the town of Villa Cerro Castillo
at its feet, providing easy access to trails into the recently designated
namesake National Park.
Cerro Castillo crowns a range of
equally attractive mountains and, being the highest of the group, cashes in a
prominence mark of 2088 meters. Due to its
location, the “Cordillera Castillo” group makes a beautiful backdrop from the
road to Puerto Ibañez, from the ferry crossing the lake to Chile Chico, and
from the southern shores of the lake in Argentina.
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| Castillo as seen from across the lake in Patagonia National Park Argentina |
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