Mount Darwin (Andes)

Mount Darwin (Spanish: Monte Darwin) is a peak in Isla Grande de Tierra del Fuego forming part of the Cordillera Darwin, the southernmost range of the Andes, just to the north of the Beagle Channel.

Mount Darwin
Bahía Pía
Highest point
Elevation2,438 m (7,999 ft)
Coordinates54°45′S 69°29′W 
Geography
Mount Darwin
Parent rangeAndes
Climbing
First ascent1970 by M. Andrews, N. Banks, M. Taylor, P. Radcliffe, P. James, N. Bennett and R. Heffernan[1]

Monte Darwin was for a long time considered as the highest peak in Tierra del Fuego, but that distinction corresponds to a nearby mountain unofficially named Monte Shipton (also somewhat confusingly referred to as Darwin or Agostini-Darwin), which is about 2,580 m (8,460 ft) high and is located at 54°39′33″S 69°35′54″W.[2][3] Both peaks are best climbed in late December, January, February and March. Monte Shipton was first climbed in 1962 by Eric Shipton, E. Garcia, F. Vivanco and C. Marangunic.[2]

Mount Darwin was given its name during the voyage of the Beagle by HMS Beagle's captain Robert FitzRoy to celebrate Charles Darwin's 25th birthday on 12 February 1834. A year earlier FitzRoy had named an expanse of water to the southwest of the mountain the Darwin Sound to commemorate Darwin's quick wit and courage in saving them from being marooned when waves from a mass of ice splitting off a glacier threatened their boats.

The mountain is part of Alberto de Agostini National Park. It is formed of crystalline schists and has massive glaciers down its steep southern slopes.

References
  1. Michael Andrews (1974). "Cordillera Darwin, Tierra del Fuego, 1970-1" (PDF). American Alpine Journal. American Alpine Club: 202. Retrieved March 28, 2012.
  2. John Shipton (2004). "Monte Shipton or Monte Darwin?" (PDF). Alpine Journal. London: Alpine Club: 132–142. Retrieved March 28, 2012.
  3. "Argentina and Chile Southern, Ultra-Prominences". 2011-03-19. Retrieved 2016-05-15.
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