Huemul Glacier, Glacier in Lago del Desierto Provincial Reserve, Santa Cruz, Argentina

Huemul Glacier is a mass of ice in the Andes that descends from high mountain peaks toward the valley below. The formation consists of deep crevasses and snow fields that continue to shift gradually across the surrounding terrain.

The glacier lies within the Lago del Desierto provincial reserve in Santa Cruz, created in 1937, the same year the area entered Los Glaciares National Park. The surrounding Patagonian border was long disputed between Chile and Argentina in the so-called Guerra de los Mapas; the nearby Cerro passed to Argentina in 1937, and in 1981 the national park was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The glacier lies within the Lago del Desierto provincial reserve in Santa Cruz, created to protect the valley and its ice. The 1.48 km trail from the Lago del Desierto refuge climbs to 728 m and takes about 1 hour 30 minutes, passing viewpoints of the north face of Fitz Roy and the Río de las Vueltas valley.

The route to the glacier is an easy walk that takes about two or three hours and starts from a visitor center. Sturdy shoes and layers are important since weather conditions can shift quickly in this region.

This is one of the few accessible glaciers in Patagonia where you can watch ice masses move and shift from close range. Cracks and breaks in the surface are constantly changing, revealing how dynamic frozen landscapes truly are.