A Respite From the Wind
Behind the Logo
What’s the story of this famous brand’s logo?
The Patagonia® logo is an Andes Mountains skyline at sunset. The iconic peak right of center is Mount Fitz Roy, located on the border between Argentina and Chile in the region of Patagonia.
The brand’s founder, Yvon Chouinard, began climbing as a fourteen-year-old in 1953. In 1957, he started forging his own chrome-molybdenum steel climbing pitons. They were an excellent product and soon he was in business.
In 1968, Chouinard climbed Fitz Roy. By then, he was concerned about the environmental impact of steel pitons fracturing rocks. He invented aluminum chocks that could be wedged by hand rather than being hammered in and out of cracks.
The first Chouinard Equipment catalog appeared in 1972. Sierra climber Doug Robinson promoted the chocks. Within a few months, Chouinard’s chocks replaced steel pitons.
His Patagonia® company and logo were officially launched in 1973. To support the marginally profitable chock business, his company expanded into clothing – and the rest is history.
The Man Behind the Mountain’s Name
Spanish explorer Antonio de Viedma was the first European to see the mountain in 1783. Argentine explorer Francisco Moreno later named it in honor of British Vice Admiral Robert FitzRoy.
FitzRoy was captain of HMS Beagle. The most famous voyage of the Beagle was its five-year second voyage from 1831 to 1836. His ship carried the recently graduated naturalist Charles Darwin around the world.
Vice Admiral FitzRoy from reddit.com
FitzRoy was also a pioneering meteorologist. He made accurate daily weather predictions and coined the term "forecasts."
In 1854 he established The Meteorological Office, the United Kingdom's national weather and climate service. To this day, the Office provides weather information to sailors, fishermen, and the public for their safety.
The Shot
Patagonia is famous for its winds. They seldom abate. Reflection images require calm conditions and are usually out of the question in Patagonia.
Imagine my surprise when I woke up last April 11. It was calm! Our group drove to a location just outside Los Glaciares National Park near El Chaltén and launched drones.
We were astounded to see a perfect reflection of Fitz Roy in the Río Cañadón de los Torres. We quickly captured images as we worried about a sudden return of the winds. But our luck prevailed, and we were able to fly for a full thirty-minute battery life.
I felt doubly blessed returning to our hotel for breakfast. On my first trip to Patagonia a decade ago, I also had the rare opportunity to capture this reflection image.
A Moment of Calm