Laguna 69 or the first encounter with altitude

After a night ride on a luxury bus, we arrived in Huaraz (3100m) on 24/08 at 7 am. After a somewhat tiring search for a hostel, we came across Casa de Zarela, a slightly more expensive but insanely beautiful and relaxed mountaineer hostel. The hostel owner recommended that we go directly to the nearby hot springs, which we immediately did. The water looked extremely dirty but was simply very high in iron content and pleasantly warm.

For acclimatization, we planned a small relaxed hike to Laguna 69 for the next day. We started at 5:45 am on our way to the collectivio (crowded minibus with a crazy driver). After a three-hour drive, we arrived at the starting point at 3400m. There we were greeted by a breathtaking landscape and a long-awaited breakfast. The hike started calmly, and we trudged with anticipation through the valley surrounded by mountains over 6000m high. Finally, the first ascent to altitude came along with an exponential increase in heart rate. After three relaxed hours of ascent (I almost died!), we reached Laguna 69 at an altitude of 4600m. After a brief look at the turquoise lake surrounded by mighty rock walls, we had to turn back and start the descent to counteract Marius' altitude sickness. After two arduous hours, we finally reached the starting point and were both completely exhausted. Thank God we quickly found an affordable taxi back to Huaraz and walked back to the hostel like zombies. Thankfully, the headaches and dizziness were gone the next day, but we still had to rest for two days and enjoy the delicious Peruvian food before we could tackle the Santa Cruz Trek.

Greetings, Max and Marius