Hikers who visit the more famous Torres del Paine in Chile are urged to hike nearby Fitz Roy, Argentina on the same trip. A similar fantastical landscape — but with even worse weather! 🙄
Fitz Roy is at the northern tip of gorgeous Parque Nacional Los Glaciers, itself part of Hielo Sur, the largest icecap not in a polar region. The Southern Patagonian Ice Fieldis the second largest in the world.
The Huemul Route gets you very, very close to the big ice.
image via Travel 2 Walk
vista from ‘Windy Pass’
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TOUGH hike. Big river crossings. Big elevation gains & loses.
no reservation, trekking fee nor permit required. FREE registration on your first day is required. Each registered group must show and carry a Tyrolean Traverse harness. Or two.
How the PROs do a Traverse
Why We Like This Hike
Paine, Fitz Roy and the Huemul are the best hikes in Patagonia. Huemul is by far the least well known.
the jagged mountains of Paine are surreal — but we feel Fitz Roy is even more stunning
Mt Fitzroy 3,375m (11,073ft)Â is the highest point in the park though you only get brief glimpses at the start of day 1 on the Huemul
no need to speak Spanish, though it helps
no risk of altitude sickness
chance to see condor, guanaco, fox & nandu (rhea) though we saw only cows & rabbits. Lots of cows & rabbits.
most hikers like El Calafate better than Puerto Natales (the two jumping off points for Fitz Roy & Paine respectively)
side trip visit to Perito Moreno Glacier, however, out of Calafate, is one of the top tourist attractions in South America
On the way up to WINDY Pass day 2. You can dream of weather this good. 😎
The history of these impossible spires adds a special flavour. Named after Captain Fitzroy, skipper of Charles Darwin’s Beagle, Fitz Roy is one of the most notoriously difficult mountaineering destinations in the world.
No need to organize transportation to trailheads. The Huemul starts at the National Park Information Center just outside of town.
Though highly unlikely, you might be tempted to swim with the icebergs. 😀
Dumb Things
Considerations
The biggest concern for hikers is wind. It can blow steady from November to April. Fitz Roy is colder and windier than Paine, on average. The huge Hielo Sur ice sheet diminishes the maritime influence.
February (summer) low maximum 5C (41F) plus wind chill
February (summer) high maximum of 22C (72F)
In addition, temperatures in your tent, closer to the mountains, will be colder.
plan for horrible weather: rain, sleet, hail, snow
bring warm, dry clothes
hypothermia is a slight risk
you need a strong tent & good tie-downsÂ
rodents are a pest at the official campgrounds. Check recommendations on how to hang or store your food safely. You’ll see many warnings about Hantavirus.
you need a stove (rent in town) as open fires are prohibited
November to April are the best months
there are some good spots at the 3 designated campgrounds, but they are not all great. Protection from wind will be your main criteria when choosing.
the days are long in Patagonia during their summer — it is light until at least 9:30PM
in the past hikers were asked to show a rope to return the pulley to the correct side of the river after the two Tyrolean Traverses. I wasn’t required to do that in 2019. It’s a dumb idea in any case. That rope should be in place full-time at each when you arrive.
If you do choose to do it independently know that navigation can be difficult, especially in poor visibility. Visibility is often poor. We were lost 3 different times in good visibility!
day 1 — if visibility is good — and you have an extra 3 hours — definitely stash your pack and day hike the side trail to the Loma del Pliegue Tumbado lookout
Trekking Guides
I met several guides on the trek. They seemed excellent to me.
Cost was around $1100 / person in 2019. Hiking independently I paid $20 harness rental plus my food & fuel.
