The Huemul Circuit: Know Before You Go
HIKING
When to Go
November - April is the best time to complete this trek, unless you are experienced in hiking in heavy snow. Weather in Patagonia can be unpredictable even in the summer season (December - February). We went in Autumn, and it was an incredible time to complete the circuit with the bright fall foliage and the frozen over lakes and streams.
When planning when to set off on the Huemul circuit, it is crucial to check the wind levels for the four days, in particular for day two. Day two is when you traverse along a slippery steep mountain, avoiding small rocks tumbling down into the glacier below - and that's on a calm day, any wind and it gets very dangerous with potentials of larger landslides.
The best website to check the weather in Patagonia is WindGuru. WingGuru provides not only the upcoming temperatures, but also wind speed, direction and gusts. As the forecast can change often, I would allow yourself at least a week in El Chalten so you can pick the best four-day window to complete the trek.
What to Pack/Rental Companies:
As well as packing your usual gear, it is also mandatory to pack a harness, two carabiners and a 30m rope as there are two ziplines you need to cross, one on day two and one on day four.
I would also recommend crampons, as it can be slippery and snowy in points.
You can hire this gear from a few shops in El Chalten, as well as sleeping bags (you will need a warm one at least -5), and a tent. It's important to note, in summer season you may need to reserve your gear a few days in advance, as they can book out. When we went in April, it was coming into low season, and even then I struggled to find a sleeping bag and I had to go to a few different rental places.
The rental places I recommend are:
Viento Oste (we hired our harness/caribeners/rope from them for AUD$25)
Patagonia Hikes (I hired my sleeping bag from there for AUD$7.70 per night)
Baja Zero
All of these stores are within a few minutes walk from each other, so it's easy to pop between - just note there may be long lines, so give yourself a couple of hours to get your gear sorted.
Check out my list below of everything I packed:
Pre-hike Registration
Before you set off on the Huemul circuit, you are required to register at the Parques Nacionales Administration office, which is on the outskirts of El Chaltén (this is also where you set off on the circuit).
They will show you a slideshow, which includes safety information and information on the river crossings, which you need your harness/carabiners/rope for. You will sign a document, and confirm you will email them upon your return so they know you have made it back safely.
If you can't make it into the office, you can register online, but I would recommend going in person to get advice on weather conditions and any questions you may have.
Should I Hike This Circuit?
If you are an experienced hiker, this is a hike not to be missed in Patagonia. It's one of the most beautiful hikes I have ever completed.
The difficulty isn't to be underestimated however, it really pushed me physically and mentally - particularly on day two. If you want to complete the hike but are a bit hesitant, I would recommend finding a local guide to go with. It will be more expensive, but 100% worth it to see the views along the circuit.
Navigation
We downloaded the offline map for the circuit on AllTrails, which worked well for us! We also got a PDF copy of the slides that we were shown when we went to the Parques Nacionales Administration office, which had a few maps included.
On day two you cross part of the glacier, and we initially tried to follow the map in the PDF slides however that got us quite lost. Spending two hours lost on a glacier is quite scary! We decided to switch to the AllTrails map which was slightly different, and far more accurate - we finally found the trail, however we were quite far behind so we set up camp early on the hill overlooking the glacier!
The rest of the navigation was pretty straightforward, so between our AllTrails map and the pretty clear trail most of the way, we avoided getting lost again.
If you aren't comfortable navigating, it is possible to get a local guide. There are companies that offer guided tours, or you could ask for recommendations once you are in El Chaltén from your hostel owner or from the outdoors stores!
Cost
One of the best drawcards to this hike, is how affordable it is!
Apart from the cost of your food, the only other thing you need to budget for is your equipment rental (see below under What to Pack). There are no other costs to explore this incredible trail!
Getting There and Back
The trailhead is right next to the Parques Nacionales Administration office, which is a 17-minute walk from the centre of El Chaltén and is easily walkable.
You can walk all the way back to El Chaltén , however it is sometimes possible to hitch a ride for the last leg from Bahia Tunel boat terminal.In summer months it's a popular spot for fishing and watersports so it should be easy to find a ride, however when we completed it in April there wasn't another car in sight, so we walked an extra 8km back to El Chaltén !
Final Tips
Backpacking food can be hard to find in El Chaltén , so if possible, bring some dehydrated meals from your home country. We hadn't done this, so we got creative with our pasta combinations!
Water is easily found along the trail, you can refill your bottles at any of the multiple streams you will pass each day.
Don't forget to reapply sunblock through the day - even though the temperatures are relatively low (5-13 degrees Celsius) the sun is strong!
Read my blog on El Chalten to plan help plan your stay here!
