Day Trip: Lake 69 Trek from Huaraz

Sightseeing  :  Peru  :  Ancash  :  Huaraz  :  Day Trips

Lake 69 is a beautiful mountain glacial lake nestled under the mountains in the Demanda Valley. This is a great excursion for people who want to acclimatize before heading to a longer hike.We leave Huaraz at 6 am and travel north along the Huaylas valley to the town of Yungay. We then follow the dirt road that leads up to the Huascaran National Park, passing close to the colossal Mount Huascaran, Peru’s highest peak at 6768m. We make a stop en route at a local restaurant for breakfast. Further up the road once we reach the national park, we stop briefly to take photos at the two stunning Llanganuco Lakes.

At Cebollapampa, another 15-minute drive away, we start our long hike. At first we walk gently up the picturesque valley surrounded by the giants of the Cordillera Blanca, before starting the long switchback ascent that leads to a small lake. The views are spectacular and so is the vegetation in a small second valley enclosed by numerous impressive snow-capped peaks. A short – but strenuous - final walk uphill brings us to the magnificent Lake 69. In this breathtaking spot, we have lunch by the beautiful clear waters of the lake set below the glowing and pure ice of the Chacraraju glacier.

A long descent takes us back to Cebollapampa, where our vehicle is waiting to drive us back to Huaraz. We arrive back in town at around 7 pm.