Glaciar Huemul, El Chalten

I clearly have a different definition of “easy” than other people, because as someone who is out of shape, I found this hike to be challenging. It starts off innocently enough—in a beautiful forest—but soon becomes a consistently uphill slog. At one point it is steep enough to warrant rope being strung between the trees to serve as a railing. The payoff, however, makes it completely worth it. Cons: 1. It’s likely to be a bit tough for anybody who is not in great shape. 2. To get there, you must drive ~36km/22 miles one way on a gravel road. It’s not a fine gravel, either; there are some large rocks and the road is badly pitted in places, too. So, driving slowly to avoid car damage is a necessity. There are some bridges you must drive over that are planks of wood running across some iffy-looking older wooden slats, and that was a bit nerve-wracking for me. 3. It costs 1000 pesos to get in, because it’s on private property. Not a bad deal, but given that the other treks in the area are free, this might be a sticking point for some folks. 4. The trail has a lot of roots running across it and some rocks, too. But, on the upside, the roots sometimes form natural stairs, which is nice. Still, be mindful of these, as they can be a tripping hazard. Pros: 1. You will pass a nice waterfall, Salto del Anillo, on the drive there. It’s literally right on the road so it makes for quick photo ops. 2. The entire drive to the campground where the trailhead is located is gorgeous and there are several pull-over areas where you can get out to admire the beauty and take photos. 3. The campground has bathrooms and a snack bar. 4. Once you get to the top of the trail, the view is astounding. The mountains, Fitz Roy, the glacial lake, the glacier, everything. Even better, you can go right down to the dreamy blue glacial lake—you’re not just viewing it from above. I suppose you could even wade or swim in it, if you wanted! 5. Since the whole trek to the top is up, up, up, you can rest easy at the top, knowing that you won’t have to deal with any additional uphill climbs. Many treks are a mixture of up and down, so even your return trip involves some uphill agony. That’s not the case here. 6. There are three little waterfalls on the path that are lovely and make a nice break when either heading to the top or coming back down. It is often billed as a half-day trek, but if you are out of shape/slow, I would consider it a full-day event once the slow (by necessity) drive is factored in, not to mention periodic stops to take photos of the scenery. I left my B&B in El Chaltén around 9:30am and didn’t get back to town around 5:30pm. Count on a full day and if you end up getting back to your lodging way sooner, enjoy the unexpected free time.

Beautiful day to ski next to the glacier.

B e a utifull place, is about 23km north from el chalten (which is the only downside) near "Lago del desierto". Is an hour hike that is not Hard and you will enjoy the hole ride. If you hire the tour guide, and you like relax with a great view, i would recommend to take more than the 2 hours tour.

e s p e c t a c u l a r

The trail is uphill with quite a few branches and trees, which makes it different from the others. It is a quiet forest, with waterfalls and at the end of the route the lagoon and the Huemul. It is beautiful and of medium difficulty. Except for the last part where there are stones and it is a bit steep but on the route it is easier than that section. There is a lot of land so in the rain it can be difficult if you don't wear the right shoes.