

Fitzroy - Patagonia
Season 1 Episode 109 | 29mVideo has Closed Captions
Art sets off in search of a different and unique view of the peak of Mt. Fitz Roy.
Just above El Chalten, South America’s unofficial trekking capital rises the jagged silhouette of Mt. Fitz Roy – revered and iconic in the world of mountaineering and photographed thousands of times. Art sets off in search of a different and unique view of the peak. He treks through an ancient forest, fords an icy river, goes under a glacier and traverses one of the largest ice caps in the world.
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Art Wolfe's Travels to the Edge is presented by your local public television station.
Distributed nationally by American Public Television

Fitzroy - Patagonia
Season 1 Episode 109 | 29mVideo has Closed Captions
Just above El Chalten, South America’s unofficial trekking capital rises the jagged silhouette of Mt. Fitz Roy – revered and iconic in the world of mountaineering and photographed thousands of times. Art sets off in search of a different and unique view of the peak. He treks through an ancient forest, fords an icy river, goes under a glacier and traverses one of the largest ice caps in the world.
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FUNDING FOR "ART WOLFE'S TRAVELS TO THE EDGE" IS PROVIDED BY... CANON.
DEDICATED TO INSPIRING PHOTOGRAPHERS TO PRESERVE AND TO PROTECT THE BEAUTY, DIVERSITY, AND GRANDEUR OF THE NATURAL WORLD.
FROM CAPTURE TO DISPLAY, CANON CAMERAS, HIGH-DEFINITION VIDEO, AND BY... YOU CHASE AFTER MOMENTS.
THE MOMENT THE LIGHT IS JUST RIGHT.
THE MOMENT YOU SEE I IN THEIR EYES.
A MOMENT OF TRIUMPH OR OF TRAGEDY.
THE MOMENT A SMILE BREAKS OR WHEN THE RAINS COME.
PROVIDED BY... AT CONSERVATION INTERNATIONAL, OUR MISSION IS TO CONSERVE AND PROTECT THE WORLD'S MOST PRECIOUS NATURAL RESOURCES.
BUT EQUALLY, IT IS TO CHAMPION A CAUSE LARGER THAN OURSELVES.
BEHIND ME RISE THE STUNNING PATAGONIAN PEAKS OF FITZROY AND CERRO TORRE, OF THESE OFTEN-PHOTOGRAPHED PEAKS.
I'M ART WOLFE -- THIS IS "TRAVELS TO THE EDGE."
W AND I SAW THESE GREAT SPIRES.
BIG GLACIER ON THE WEST SIDE AND I THOUGHT, "THAT WOULD BE A FANTASTIC PLACE TO GO AND SHOOT."
PATAGONIA ENCOMPASSES THE GREAT TAIL OF SOUTH AMERICA.
STRADDLING BOTH CHILE AND ARGENTINA, IT STRETCHES ACROSS THE PATAGONIAN ICE CAPS, THIS REGION IS DEFINED BY THE INCESSANT WINDS, VAST LAKES, INCREDIBLE WILDLIFE, AND TALL, GRANITE SPIRES.
MT.
FITZROY AND CERRO TORRE ARE WORLD CLASS MOUNTAINS THAT HAVE BEEN PHOTOGRAPHED LARGELY FROM THE SAME VIEWPOINT.
THESE GREAT ICONIC MOUNTAINS AND PHOTOGRAPHING THEM WITH A DIFFERENT VIEW.
HIKING THROUGH THE TREES, THESE TWISTED TREES, IS A GREAT COUNTER TO WHAT LIES BEYOND.
Man: THIS IS A BEAUTIFUL FOREST.
Wolfe: I LIKE THE WAY THE LIGHT COMES DOWN THROUGH THESE TREES.
JOINING ME ON THIS JOURNEY IS LIFELONG FRIEND RICK HOLT AND LOCAL GUIDE, WALTER ROSSINI.
YEAH, YEAH,PLE SEE IT IT'S AMAZING.
IT'S AN EXPEDITION, IT'S NOT JUST A TREK.
AS WE HIKE UP THIS VALLEY, WE'RE STARTING TO LOSE THE VEGETATION, AND SUDDENLY, YOU'RE IN A REALLY OPEN LANDSCAPE OF SHORT HEATHER AND MEADOWS.
YOU SEE THE MORAINE AND THE RESIDUE OF ANCIENT GLACIERS.
YOU'V.
THIS IS A GREAT PLACE, GUYS, TO SEE WHAT A MORAINE LOOKS LIKE.
THIS IS FRONTAL MORAINE WHERE WE'RE AT RIGHT NOW.
IT'S A DEPOSIT OF MATERIAL DOWN BY THE GLACIER.
I'LL SHOW YOU AN EXAMPLE HERE WITH MY BOOT.
IMAGINE THAT MY BOOT IS THE ICE COMING DOWNHILL.
AND LATERAL MORAINES IT ADVANCEAT THE SIDES.
Wolfe: THIS IS THE BEGINNING OF A LOT OF LOOSE ROCK.
THIS JOURNEY IS REALLY CHALLENGING BECAUSE YOU'RE SPENDING MOST OF THE TIME JUST BOULDERING -- WALKING OVER SCREE SLOPES OF REALLY LOOSE ROCK.
LOOKS LIKE WE GOT OUR CROSSING.
LOOKS PRETTY COLD TO ME.
Rossini: I'LL CROSS FIRST WITH OUR BACKPACKS, SO I'LL CHANGE BOOTS, THEN I'LL TURN BACK AND HELP YOU TWO CROSSING, OKAY?
Wolfe: YEAH.
I HATE WALKING AROUND WITH WET BOOTS, SO I'VE ABSCONDED A PAIR OF PORTER BOOTS AWHOO!
IT IS COLD!
HEY, RICK, IF YOU FALL, I'LL CATCH YOU!
AH!
THE SKIES ARE DRAMATIC.
THERE'S REALLY A DEEP, DEEP, CLEAR BLUE PUNCTUATED WITH THESE BEAUTIFUL, SWIRLING CLOUDS.
Holt: HEY, ART, DO YOU THINK THE WEATHER'S GOING TO HOLD?
WELL, THIS BEING PATAGONIA, I DON'T KNOW.
JUST HOPE AT THE NORTH FACE.
IT HOLDS UP.T'S YEP.
Wolfe: WHEN YOU'RE ON THE TREK, YOU'RE ALWAYS WATCHING THE WEATHER, BECAUSE WHEN IT'S CLEAR, YOU'RE ALWAYS NERVOUS BECAUSE IT'S GOING TO CHANGE.
AND WHEN IT'S CLOUDY, YOU'RE ALWAYS HOPING THAT IT'S GOING TO CLEAR.
IT NEVER STAYS THE SAME.
YOU KNOW, RICK, THIS IS ONE OF THE VIEWS THAT I REALLY WANTED TO GET ON THIS TRIP.
THIS IS THE VERY IMPRESSIVE NORTH FACE OF MT.
FITZROY.
AND THE WEATHER IS PERFECT FOR THIS.
THIS IS THE ONE SHOT I WANTED TO GET ON THE NORTH SIDE, OH, I HATE THIS, I HATE THIS, I HATE THIS!
YOU REALLY HAVE TO BE COMMITTED TO GO ALL THE WAY AROUND THESE MOUNTAINS, BECAUSE YOU'RE REALLY AT THE MERCY OF THE ELEMENTS.
PROBABLY SEVEN OUT OF TEN TREKS FAIL.
THERE'S 200 FEET OF ICE PRESSING DOWN ON THIS ROCK.
I'M LOOKING FOR ABSTRACTS OF COLOR AND TEXTURE.
I LOVE TO CHALLENGE PERCEPTIONS, YOU CAN SEE ALL THE POCKETS OF AIR TRAPPED IN THERE.
THERE'S A BEAUTIFUL CONTRAST BETWEEN THE PINK OF THE OUTSIDE LIGHT AND THE BLUE OF THIS INTERIOR SPACE.
SE , AND IT'S REALLY FANTASTIC.
OH, I LOVE THIS!
AND THI.
I'VE PHOTOGRAPHED COUNTLESS STREAMS FLOWING OUT OF MOUNTAINS, BUT I'VE NEVER PHOTOGRAPHED A STREAM FLOWING OVER THE TOP OF A GLACIER.
AND WHAT ATTRACTED ME TO THIS SHOT IS THE BEAUTIFUL BLUE THAT'S THE BACKDROP TO THE RAPIDS.
TO CONVEY THAT IN AN ARTISTIC WAY, I'VE TAKEN A LONG EXPOSURE SO IT'S GOING TO HAVE MOTION BLUR, BLUE COMING THROUGH, AND I THINK IT WILL BE A VERY, VERY NICE ADDITION WOW, THE WEATHER IS SO NICE RIGHT NOW!
HOPING FOR THE SECOND SHOT I WANT!
ON , IS NOT SEEING THE CREVASSES.
WE'RE ABSOLUTELY GOING TO MAKE IT TO MARCONI PASS TODAY.
WHAT I'M HOPING IS THAT THOSE CLOUDS DANCING OVER THE TOP OF FITZROY REMAIN IN PLACE TOWARDS THE LATE, LATE AFTERNOON LIGHT.
THAT FALLS FROM THE SKY AND HITS THESE GLACIERS TAKES 300 YEARS BEFORE IT'S RELEASED FROM THE GLACIER.
I FIND THAT UTTERLY AMAZING!
IT WAS ONE OF OUR HARDEST DAYS, AND YET, IT WASN'T THAT HARD AT ALL.
IT'S NOT EVEN COLD, BUT THE CLOUDS ARE MOVING IN AND THAT GIVES ME A LITTLE BIT OF PAUSE FOR CONCERN.
ART SAID HE'S NOT TOO TIRED -- I AM.
THIS IS IT!
THE END OF THE DAY!
Rossini: END THE GLACIER FOR THE DAY!
WAY.
THIS IS MY SECOND FAVORITE VIEW THAT I WAS HOPING TO GET, AND IT'S THE NORTHEAST VIEW OF MT.
FITZROY AND CERRO TORRE.
AS YOU CAN SEE BY THE LIGHT ON THE MOUNTAINS BEHIND ME, IT'S PRETTY FLAT.
THERE'S A VERY THIN VEIL OF CLOUDS OBSCURING THE SUN.
BUT AS I LOOK TO THE WEST, THERE'S A BIG GAP IN THESE CLOUDS, AND I SUSPECT IN AN HOUR OR SO A MOUNTAIN OR CLOSE IN AND THAT'S THE LAST SHOT OF THE ENTIRE TRIP.
SO I'M ALWAYS SHOOTING, EXPECTING THOSE SHOTS TO BE THE LAST.
BUT INVARIABLY, IT GETS BETTER AND BETTER AND BETTER.
COME RACING ACROSS THE SOUTHERN PACIFIC SOME 2,000 MILES, UNIMPEDED BY ANY LAND FORMATIONS, AND THEY LITERALLY SLAM INTO THESE JAGGED PEAKS THAT RISE THOUSANDS OF FEET OUT OF THIS VARY NARROW ISTHMUS OF LAND.
IT WAS BOUND TO HAPPEN THAT THE WEATHER WOULD CATCH UP WITH US, AND NOW IT HAS.
Holt: THE WEATHER IS PRETTY WICKED.
Wolfe: TODAY IS A VERY LONG SLOG ON A VERY BIG GLACIER.
Rossini: TODAY IS LIKE THE MOON DAY -- EVERYTHING CHANGES.
N SEE THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE SNOW AND THE SKY.
Wolfe: THIS IS THE CLOSEST ENVIRONMENT THAT I CAN REMEMBER TO ANTARCTICA.
IT'S JUST SO FLAT AND LIMITLESS.
IT'S AMAZING TO ME TO WALK OUT HERE IN THIS GREAT EXPANSE.
IT'S ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO JUDGE DISTANCES.
IT'S KIND OF A GREAT FEELING TO BE OUT HERE IN SUCH A WIDE, OPEN SPACE, AND THE ONLY PEOPLE YOU SEE ARE THE PEOPLE YOU KNOW.
OUR MAIN OBJECTIVES, THE VIEWS OF FITZROY AND CERRO TORRE, THIS IS NOT ARETHE END OF THE WORLD.
Holt: UNLIKE ART, I DON'T GET TO DO THIS TOO OFTEN.
I'D BE PRETTY DISAPPOINTED IF WE DON'T GET A GOOD VIEW.
Wolfe: BASED ON WHAT I SEE AND MY EXPERIENCE IN THE MOUNTAINS, I DON'T THINK WE'RE GOING TO SEE THE MOUNTAINS FOR AT LEAST A DAY, IT'S AMAZING HOW THE WEATHER OF PATAGONIA ALWAYS IS TAUNTING AND TEASING YOU.
THEY GIVE YOU LITTLE GLIMPSES OF THESE GREAT MOUNTAINS THROUGH THESE CLOUDS, AND SOMETIMES, THOSE VIEWS OPEN UP TO A GRAND VISTA -- MORE TIMES THAN NOT, THEY CLOSE BACK IN.
THAT WE HAVE ALLOTTED HERE.
THIS IS A VERY EXPOSED PLACE, SO WE'RE GOING TO CREATE A WALL OUT OF BLOCKS OF ICE.
YOU ARRIVE AT A PLACE WHERE YOU THINK THE MOUNTAINS WIAND HOW CLEARG AND PERFECT IT IS TODAY.
JUST TO SEE FITZROY AND CERRO TORRE RISING RIGHT OUT OF THIS VAST GLACIER, IT IS PERFECT!
WHAT I'M CONCENTRATING ON IS JUST DOING THE ROCK AND THE ICE -- THE ICE ON TOP OF CERRO TORRE AND, WITH A POLARIZER, THE WEST VIEW OF MT.
FITZROY SO THEAND CERRO TORRE IS EVERYTHING THAT I HAD HOPED IT WOULD BE.
THESE MOUNTAINS JUST RISE OUT OF THIS ICE CAP, UNABATED IN THESE VERTICAL WALLS OF GRANITE.
I CAN'T THINK OF ANY LANDSCAPES ON EARTH THAT MATCH THE DRAMATIC VERTICAL RISE AND IT PAYS OFF EVENTUALLY.
THIS IS FANTASTIC, WITH THE LIGHT, THE WAY IT'S PLAYING OFF THESE ROCK FACES, THE GLACIER ON THE BOTTOM, THE BLUE SKY BEHIND IT.
IT GIVES A NICE, REALLY DRAMATIC EFFECT WITH THE LIGHT.
YOU KNOW, WHAT I LOVE ABOUJUST JUT UP INTO THE SKY.ESS THEY'RE SO UNCOMPROMISING.
SO FEW CLIMBERS HAVE EVER STOOD ON THE TOP OF THAT MOUNTAIN.
WHEN YOU THINK OF EVEREST, IT'S BEEN CLIMBED HUNDREDS AND HUNDREDS OF TIMES, YOU KNOW, THIS MOUNTAIN HAS HAD A HANDFUL OF PEOPLE ON THE SUMMIT OF IT.
THIS IS EXTRAORDINARY, AND THAT'S JUST INDICATIVE OF HOW WILD PATAGONIA IS, HOW INACCESSIBLE IT CAN BE, E. IT'S REALLY COMFORTING FOR PEOPLE TO REALIZE THAT THERE'S PLACES ON THIS PLANET THAT ARE UNTAMED AND RAW AND WILD.
MY PHOTOGRAPHS ARE INTENDED TO REMIND PEOPLE THAT PLACES LIKE MT.
FITZROY AND CERRO TORRE EXIST.
FROM THIS SEASON ARE AVAILABLE ON THREE-EPISODE DISCS FOR $17.95 EACH, PLUS SHIPPING AND HANDLING.
AN AWARD-WINNING BOOK OF ART WOLFE'S LANDSCAPES FEATURED IN THIS SERIES AND BEYOND, "EDGE OF THE EARTH, CORNER OF THE SKY," IS AVAILABLE FOR $49.95 PLUS SHIPPING AND HANDLING.
TO ORDER THE BOOK OR DVDs, PLEASE CALL 1-800-440-2651.
YOU CAN FIND OUT MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THIS EPISODE, PHOTO TIPS, AND OTHER FUNDING FOR "ART WOLFE'S TRAVELS TO THE EDGE" IS PROVIDED BY... OR OF TRAGEDY.
THE MOMENT A SMILE BREAKS OR WHEN THE RAINS COME.
THE MOMENT YOU IMAGINED IS PASSING RIGHT NOW.
BUT THE MOMENT YOU SEE, WHEN IT ALL COMES TOGETHER, IS A MOMENT YOU'VE CAPTURED FOREVER.
AND BY... CANON.
DEDICATED TO INSPIRING PHOTOGRAPHERS HIGH-DEFINITION VIDEO, PRINTERS, AND PROJECTORS HELP TO FUEL THE PASSION AND THE CREATIVITY THAT BRING THIS INCREDIBLE WORLD INTO FOCUS.
ADDITIONAL FUNDING PROVIDED BY... AT CONSERVATION INTERNATIONAL,
Support for PBS provided by:
Art Wolfe's Travels to the Edge is presented by your local public television station.
Distributed nationally by American Public Television