“Every nature lover wants to see the Huemul deer and that motivated us to think about this expedition. The southernmost deer, so threatened, emblem of the Patagonian forests... we know that it is very likely to find it on an expedition accompanied by an expert and his advice." ARGENTINA WILD EXPEDITIONS.
Los Huemules Private Nature Reserve is in the westernmost part of the province of Santa Cruz, Argentine Patagonia. To the north, it borders with an imaginary line which runs from the northern end of the Cóndor Lake to the Del Diablo Lake; to the south, it borders with a large part of the Eléctrico River; to the east, with the Provincial Route 23 and to the west, with the Republic of Chile. People can get into the reserve after 17 km on a gravel road along the PR23, which connects El Chaltén city and Del Desierto Lake.
It is a field of 5,800 hectares. Due to its significant natural features, it is a site of high conservation value. Its landscapes and great scenic beauty represent the typical environments of this region. There are well-preserved Andean forests and exceptional fauna, such as the Huemul deer, the Torrent duck, the Magellanic woodpecker, the Andean condor, the Andean fox and the Puma. It also has a view of the most important attraction in the region, the Fitz Roy Mount. Within the reserve, there are the glaciers Gorra Blanca and Marconi. The latter is the most accessible route to continental ice (the third reserve of fresh water in the world).
The Nature Reserve area occupies 95.5% of the field surface (around 5,500 hectares) where all the natural environments of the region can be found there. There are great mountains, glaciers, Antarctic beech (Ñire) and Lenga beech forests, lakes, rivers and wetlands (mallines).
The planning, control and management of the entire area has allowed the conservation of the natural environments which are the habitat of the huemul, so that there are frequent sightings of our Andean deer.
Our main target in this expedition is of course the Huemul, the southernmost deer in the world. It is one of the most endangered mammals in Argentina and it lives only in the Andean-Patagonian forests. It is a robust animal, with strong and relatively short legs -characteristic which shows its adaptation to mountain environments. Less than 20% of the huemul population is found in Argentine Patagonia and according to the Argentine Society for the Study of Mammals (SAREM, for its Spanish acronym), there are less than 400 adult individuals in the country.
To find these deer, we will be moving among Antarctic beech (ñire) and Lenga beech forests and different waterbodies, appreciating majestic landscapes while we look for deer and other species characteristic of Andean Patagonia.
Target species: Huemul, White-throated hawk, Andean condor, Mountain caracara, Chucao tapaculo, Black-throated huet-huet, Thorn-tailed rayadito, White-throated treerunner, Magellanic tapaculo, Flying steamer duck, Magellanic woodpecker, Chilean flicker, Striped woodpecker, Rufous-legged owl, Bicolored hawk, Patagonian tyrant, Rufous-tailed plantcutter, White-crested elaenia, Austral pygmy-owl, Spectacled duck, Torrent duck, Fire-eyed diucon, Austral parakeet, Ashy-headed goose, White-browed ground tyrant, among others.
See Check-list of species in Ecoregistros for Los Huemules ranch:
Accommodation: Casa Huemules. Located within the Los Huemules Reserve, this cosy house will be the base site for the expedition passengers. It has 3 bedrooms, 6 single beds, 3 bathrooms. It is surrounded by a native Antarctic beech (Ñire) forest and fully equipped to enjoy a comfortable stay.
Walking a few minutes from Casa Huemules, we will cross the footbridges of the Diablo River to reach the Azul and Verde lakes and enjoy an exclusive view of the north face of the Chaltén/Fitz Roy Mount. Immediately, we will find ourselves in a “hot spot” with permanent presence of Huemul deers, where the chances of seeing them will be very high. This sector and one next to it are the ones that meet the best conditions to see the prince of the southern mountain ranges.
Season: Year-round.
Recommended minimum duration: 4 days
Base: ‘Casa Huemules’ lodge in the ‘Los Humules’ Private Nature Reserve. Another option is a hotel in the city El Chaltén, 17 kms from the reserve.
Air terminal:
Aeropuerto Comandante Armando Tola (FTE), El Calafate, Santa Cruz.
Winter is cold, with short days, snowfall and temperatures which can drop below freezing. In spring/summer, temperatures range from 5° to 20°C (41 to 68°F).
