Huemul Circuit Guide

Distance 10 miles (16 km) 

Elevation 2490 ft (760m) ascent, 1620 ft (490m) descent

The first day of the Huemul Circuit is designed to ease you into the trek. It has a full day of walking on a well marked and gently climbing trail, finishing at a wild camping site that puts you in prime position for the challenges ahead.

Like many of the best hikes in Los Glaciares, the trail starts by walking straight out of El Chaltén towards the mountains. The path undulates through the wide glacial valley, crossing sweeping meadows and accompanied throughout by tremendous views of Mount FiztRoy and Cerro Torre.

As the day progresses, the meadows become dotted with forests of native lenga and ñirre trees, as the terrain slowly rises into rolling hills.

The second half of the day treats you to views of Cerro Huemul. You’ll find the trail here to be crossed with a series of shallow streams that you’ll need to wade across. The water generally comes up to your knees at most. As you approach the campsite, the trail can also become quite marshy in places.

The day finished at Toro Camp (Campamento Laguna Toro), a wild camp that’s tucked into the lenga forest to offer shelter from Patagonia’s wind. Water can be obtained at the nearby glacier-fed river.

Distance 10 miles (16 km)

Elevation 2720 ft (830m) ascent, 1890 ft (570m) descent

The second day of the Huemul Circuit is tough and tiring, and involves tackling a serious mountain pass, but it offers as a reward one of the greatest views in all of South America: the South Patagonian Ice Field.

The day starts by crossing the Túnel River. If the river is low, it’s sometimes possible to wade across upstream, but the normal method is by Tyrolean traverse: pulling yourself hand over hand along a zipline strung over the river. It’s a dramatic way to cross the threshold into the heart of Los Glaciares.

From here the trail winds slowly and constantly upwards, walking along the moraine that runs alongside the Glacier Rio Túnel Inferior, and surrounded by granite crags and snowy peaks. You’ll often find yourself walking on the scree-covered edge glacier itself, or rising high to look down on its icy blue tongue.

The goal is the Paso del Viento (Windy Pass). As the name implies, the weather can howl ferociously over this feature, as well as several false horizons to the pass. It’s all designed to test the grit of every trekker. When you crest the summit your efforts are repaid in full, as the endless frozen fields of the ice cap unfurl themselves in front of you on a scale that it’s hard to comprehend.

From the pass, it’s a gentle descent to the Paso del Viento campsite, next to a small lagoon amid grassy slopes. Take advantage of the rocky circular windbreaks erected for tents: you’ll be grateful for every inch of shelter on offer.

Distance 8.7 miles (14 km)

Elevation1760 ft (535m) ascent, 3890 ft (1190m) descent

The third day of the Huemul Circuit sees more climbing, as the trail gains altitude to offer views of the Viedma Glacier before crossing the hike’s last major pass to descend to an iceberg-strewn lake.

The day begins with a steady climb towards Paso Huemul (Huemul Pass). As you walk you’ll continue to have the amazing ice field views – this time of the icebound moonscape of the Viedma Glacier, backed by snowy peaks.

The pass is less challenging than the previous day, though you should still be prepared to battle strong winds. When you reach the top, there are more amazing views of where the enormous river of ice meets its end, as it breaks and drains into the milky blue waters of Lake Viedma.

The lake now acts as your constant companion as you begin a steep and sometimes difficult descent to its waters. The trail descends incredibly quickly, so it’s essential to take this section of the hike as slowly as possible. The terrain is rocky, broken with low trees that provide shelter from the wind.

Eventually the gradient starts to ease up, to give a straightforward downhill section leading towards the campsite at Bahía de los Témpanos.

This bay of icebergs is a perfectly named spot, and as you slowly approach it it’s a thrill to see the distant white blocks resolve into icebergs the size of buildings, piled up close to shore. The campsite is sheltered amid trees a short walk from the beach.

Distance 10 miles (16 km)

Elevation 1370 ft (420 m) ascent, 1360 ft (420m) descent 

The fourth day of the Huemul Circuit is the most relaxed of the hike. There are no major changes in elevation over the day, just a steady walk through gorgeous scenery that allows you to process the experience of the trek as a whole.

After striking camp (perhaps after taking your breakfast by the icebergs on the beach) you follow a trail through pampa away from the lake. Stick to the trail: there are several small streams to cross, but it’s easy to get stuck in the scrubby bush, which is dotted with sections of marsh. Don’t forget to regularly look back at the ice cliffs of the Viedma Glacier as they recede into the distance.

After a gentle climb above the lake, the trail descends to meet the lower Túnel River. This is the river you crossed on the second day of the trek: meeting it again is what makes the route a circuit. Crossing the river here again requires a Tyrolean traverse using a zipline. At the start of your hike the crossing might have seemed daunting, but now you’ll pull yourself across with all the experience of an old hand.

The river effectively marks the end of the trek. From here, El Chaltén is just five miles (8 km away). Completists may want to walk this last stretch, but most trekkers are content with having transport meet them immediately after the river crossing to take them back to town.