Huemul Circuit – 4 days

Guides and group sizes

Ratio is 1 guide/assistance per 3 guests. Maximum group size is 9 guests 1 guide and 2 assistants guide.

Difficulty and prerequisites

These are all physically demanding days and participants must be in good hiking shape.

Guests are required to carry a backpack with their personal gear (clothes, sleeping bag, pad, etc), group (tents, pot, stoves, food etc), about 18 kg. Personal porters could be arranged in advance, if needed.

No mountaineering experience is required, however if you had some it helps a lot.

Transportation

Participants are responsible for their own transportation to El Chaltén, Argentina. Your travel agent should be able to arrange this for you. You can get there by flying to Buenos Aires, and then fly to El Calafate. From there, you can get on a 4-hour bus journey or you we can arrange a private transfer.

Accommodation & Meals

All food during the expedition is included. Please let us know of any special dietary requirements you have when booking. If you need any help with your lodging, do not hesitate to ask us. We can find the best for your taste and budget.

Weather consideration

The fame of the area regarding wind and fast changeable conditions are not a legend. Be ready to experience nature and all its beauties and power.

Itinerary

Day 1

We hike along Rio Tunnel and over Loma del pliegue tumbado. Only 6 hours with 500-meter elevation gain. One of the less hiked trails in the Park, however one of the most spectacular. We could see both mountain ranges, Cerro Torre Range and Fitz Roy Range! Also, if mother nature allows we could see the famous Wind Pass with Mariano Moreno range in the back (mountains in the southern continental ice cap). We camp in Laguna Toro Camp.

Day 2

This trek brings all the terrains together: grass, scree and glacier. This is the strawberry of the desert. For some people the best hike. Impressive views of the continental Southern Ice Cap, third largest ice mass of fresh water in the world. There would be a Tyrolean crossing or wading a river according to conditions. We camp by a rustic hut of Paso del Viento. We use only the hut for cooking and we sleep in the tents. 900-meter elevation gain, 5 hour-hike aprox.

Day 3

We contour around Cerro Huemul, always having Glacier Viedma on our right. Alpine meadows, glacier erosion terrain delights us along the way. By the end, only 400-meters elevation separates us from Paso Huemul. Impressive view, one side Lago Viedma, in the other Glacier Viedma! Walking down and some bush waking make us reach Huemul pass Camp. After pitching camp, a five-minute walk delights our eyes: Viedma Glacier face falling into Lago Viedma. Only fifteen more minutes away, in a cliff of 500 meters, we find condors nesting.

Day 4

From here on, everything down hill! So the rule is: your butt touches the ground; you buy a beer/drink for the group! Destination: Túnel Bay, where a taxi will pick us up, to return to Chalten. “Cordero asado”, barbecued lamb, (veggie options always available) and Vino tinto (other drinks available too)!