Everything important about the Laguna 69 at a glance
Length: ~ 15 km
Duration: ~ 5-6 hours
Difficulty: easy-medium
Altitude difference: 734
Highest point: Laguna 69 (4.604 m)
Laguna 69 in Peru
Laguna 69 is probably the most popular day destination in Huascarán National Park, which attracts thousands of hikers and climbers every year with its beautiful scenery. The iceblue mountain lake is located at an altitude of almost 4,600 m and is often used by people as an acclimatization trek in preparation for one of the “big” hikes in the national park. The starting point for Laguna 69 is the small town of Huaraz. The picturesque lake with its turquoise water makes you feel the urge to jump into the cold water – and indeed some people did not miss the opportunity to take a short bath in the lagoon.
Laguna 69 on your own or with a tour?
Normally we want to do everything on our own, but with the tour to Laguna 69 it was different. After some research we found out that it is even cheaper to hike with a tour than on our own. Since it was our first time at such heights, we felt it was better to just get on a bus after the tour instead of taking public transportation several times.
How much does the tour to Laguna 69 cost?
The starting point for the tour to Laguna 69 is the small town of Huaraz, from where most tours start. The tour itself including transportation costs 50 PEN per person. The entrance fee to the park is another 30 PEN. So in total the tour will cost you around 20 €. On the way there is a short breakfast break, who wants can buy breakfast, we had packed something the night before and made us sandwiches with Peruvian cheese.
Packing List Laguna 69
- Hiking boots
- At best a filter bottle e.g. Lifestraw
- Windproof and warm jacket
- Rain poncho
- Breakfast (e.g. sandwiches, bananas and Snickers)
- Sunscreen
- Headgear
- Short & long hiking pants
- Sunglasses
- If necessary pills against altitude sickness
Tour itinerary and ascent to Laguna 69
In the morning at 5:30 we start. The bus of the tour provider collects us in front of our hotel. We collect other guests distributed in Huaraz before it then starts. The drive takes a total of about 3 hours and is really not very pleasant. The last part of the route leads over steep serpentines through the mountains. While in the car you”ll enjoy a beautiful scenery although it look pretty scary at times due to te abyss right next to you. On the way we make a short stop at two lagoons, which are so beautiful that we wonder if this can be topped?!
In short, the answer is… YES!!! It can still be topped. Shortly before the start, we take a break in a small restaurant where we can have breakfast and, if necessary, buy snacks and water for the hike. Around 8:30 we start walking. There is a short briefing from the guide and then we start walking. The hike is well visited but would not call it overcrowded. The paths are hardly missable. There are no fixed groups here, so we can walk at our own pace. At the top we have about an hour before we descend again.
Beautiful picture at Laguna 69… not A little bit of posing must of course also be at the Laguna 69
Now the guide starts to get a little impatient, although we are super in time. We do not let ourselves be distracted by this and walk down. Arrived at the bottom, it is discovered that our bus has a flat tire. After an hour we are finally ready to leave. Naomi now begins to feel the consequences of the ascent and the return trip becomes a horror ride. On the way we have to stop briefly because she is getting sick. I and some other guests feel a bit unwell and have headaches. Around 17:00 we reach Huaraz again – Naomi fix and ready goes of course directly to bed.
Conclusion: Again, we would go back to the tour next time as it felt more like transportation and not a fully guided tour.
Acclimatization
We recommend arriving in Huaraz at least 2-3 days before the hike to get used to the altitude. We did it a little too early, which is why Naomi was pretty crappy afterwards. The hike is also a great introduction to the world of the Cordillera Blanca. We also used Laguna 69 to acclimatize for the Huayhuash trek. If you are also planning to do the Huayhuash trek on your own, we have written a separate article on it here.
