Laguna 69, Huaraz
Peru
Distance: 14.6 km
Ascent: 740 m
Descent: 740 m
While Danny had a relaxing day in Huaraz, I joined another tour to Laguna 69, the most popular day trip from Huaraz. I was told to be ready at the hostel by 5.30 a.m., but a knock came at my door at 5 a.m. saying the bus was here. My alarm had gone off 2 minutes earlier and I was nowhere near ready. It was a quick scramble to throw on some clothes, toss everything I needed in my bag then jump on the waiting bus.
Two and half hours later we stopped for breakfast, where we all sat shivering in the open-air restaurant. A large cloud filled half the sky, preventing any chance of the sun warming us up. After a quick bite we drove down the road for a brief stop at Laguna Llaganuco. Due to the presence of minerals in the water, the water was a vivid milky blue that didn’t seem real. Every lake we see is astonishes us in some way.
It was 9 a.m. before we finally we made it to the start point of the Laguna 69 trek. Our bus assistant told us the hike was 7 km each way, with 700 metres of ascent, and we had 6 hours to complete it. I set off with the masses through a flat valley, with cows and donkeys grazing on the grass and a bubbling river running beside us. The majestic Mt Chacraraju (6,100 m) guided our way, its white peaks appearing and disappearing behind the moving clouds. Behind us Mt Huascaran (6,768 m), the largest mountain in the region, sparkled in the sun. It was a beautiful, albeit cold, start to the day.
Over the next 2-3 km the path began to ascend in a steady manner. Waterfalls sprang out of the surrounding cliff faces and incredible views were found around every corner. The trail eventually flattened again, where I came across a tiny lake sitting in the foreground of the expansive Chacraraju. It was only the final kilometre, straight up the side of the mountain, that proved challenging, but the steepness didn’t compare to the climb up to Laguna Churup. It was projected that the hike up would take 3 hours, but I arrived in just over 2.
Laguna 69 was a tantalising bright blue with marine green edges, its water clean, clear and freezing cold. It wasn't the biggest lake going around, but it's unique colour and the Chacraraju glacier hanging overhead made it a sight to behold. A waterfall ran down the side, while other cascades were frozen on the rock face. An occasional crash could be heard over the other side of the lake, but I never saw the source of the sound. I climbed up a jumble of rocks behind the shore for a view 30-40 metres above the water, where I sat for the next 45 minutes while eating my lunch in the sun. No one else joined me. It was bliss.
The chilling wind ended up forcing me back down to the water's edge, where I spent another 45 minutes before starting the return trip. As the slope wasn't overly steep, my usual slipping and sliding was kept to a minimum. The only issue was the horseflies. All of us were swarmed by the aggressive insects, who didn't care how many times they were swatted away, they kept coming back for more. I could barely look around at the scenery as I was too busy flinging my arms about. It was torture, and I was glad to finally reach the bus.
Once again the people of Peru seemed to be in their own time zone. Even though we were all told to be back on the bus by 3 p.m., when the hour rolled around only 6 of us had returned out of about 30. It was a long wait for the rest of the stragglers to arrive. Comparing Laguna Churup with Laguna 69, Churup won hands down. However, the hike to reach 69 was far more scenic, and I appreciated it just as much for this reason.
