Trekking to Laguna 69

After exploring the less touristy northern part of Peru in the past two weeks, which involved long bus rides, it was time for a new adventure for us.

For those who know us, it is no secret that we love the mountains and always feel at home there. So since September 17th, we have been stranded in Huaraz. A trekking mecca! After acclimatizing for two days, we embarked on our first day hike. We wanted to use this hike to acclimate to the altitude, give our bodies time to adjust, and see how our heads (and maybe our heads) feel at this elevation.

So on September 19th, the alarm clock rang at 4:15 am. We decided to take an organized tour because it was the same price as going on our own.

With a 20-minute delay, the bumpy ride to Laguna 69 began. The route led through bumpy roads to Huascaran National Park, where the starting point for the hike was at 3900 meters above sea level. We had a distance of 7 km each way and 700 meters of elevation gain.

The trail took us past beautiful landscapes: with streams winding through high plateaus, waterfalls, wonderful mountain air, glaciers, and a view of the highest mountains in Peru.

Those who have had the pleasure of going on a ski tour with me, Carla, know that every summit euphoria is preceded by at least one Hollywood-style crisis. So I had a great respect for this hike because I'm not used to being at this altitude.
We were pleasantly surprised that we managed this ascent so well - without a Hollywood-style episode. Whether it was due to good acclimatization or the good pacemaker - that still needs to be discussed.

So we managed to reach Laguna 69 at 4602 meters above sea level in three hours. The Laguna 69 is wonderfully blue, surrounded by high mountains with glaciers, and invites you to dream and linger - simply muyromantico.:-)
The descent took us back the same way and the clouds cleared so that we had a spectacular view of the highest mountain in Peru - Huascaran.

So after an impressive day, we are tired but happy to have exercised. And we can look forward to our first big trek with confidence. We are heading to the Santa Cruz Trek - but more on that in the coming days!