Laguna 69 is an iconic hike in Peru, its rare blue color stands out from the landscape. In recent years, this place has become one of many impressive hikes in the Andes. In this guide, I will share all the details you need to know for hiking Laguna 69.
LAGUNA 69 HIKING TOUr
You should know the popularity of Laguna 69 and its difficulty are not related. This hike is famous for its unique beauty. We will see this point later.
Before talking transportation options I think is better to ask yourself some questions in order to verify if you are ready or not for this hike. The most important thing you should know is Laguna 69 is at 4600 m/ 15091 ft which is a little bit less than the Mont Blanc (4809m/15777 ft). So, there is nothing to underestimate.
You should ask yourself the following questions:
- Are you in good physical condition?
- Are you acclimatized?
- Have you ever gone hiking at a similar altitude?
If you answered 2/3 questions yes, you are ready. In my case, the only “no” was the acclimatization but I didn’t had another option, I just had 4 days in Caraz. I perfectly knew I was going to struggle and still I decided to do it.
Another important thing to keep in mind is the elevation. Lots of people didn’t expect it. the trailhead starts at 3900 m/ 12795 ft and when you arrive to Laguna 69 is 4600 m/ 15091 ft. I strongly recommend to visit Laguna Paron first, it is way much easier.
How to go to laguna 69
Now that you have evaluated your personal situation you can choose what is the better way for you to get there.
A tour to Laguna 69 is the cheaper and convenient choice. It costs around S/60/ USD$ 15. Please note the entrance fee to the Huascaran National Park is not included in any service. Commonly the group tour is around 25-30 people.
An option for going independently is to book a private taxi. From Caraz cost S/180/ USD$ 46, with 2 hours of waiting, then the taxi driver charges S/10/ USD$2.59 pp per extra hour.
If you are a fit hiker you should know with a tour, you will probably wait 1-2 hours in the bus for the slower ones. If you are not short on money you may consider this alternative.
In my case this wasn’t appealing because I knew I wouldn’t be fast.
Taking public transportation is easy for going in but the return is another story. Colectivos timetable are unreliable. Some people said last colectivo from Cebolla Pampa to Yungay leaves at 3.00 pm, others said 4 pm. One hour of difference is a lot, especially in a high altitude hike. So I just skipped this option.
Please note the entrance fee to the Huascaran National Park is not included in any service.
My experience with Laguna 69 tour
As the bus was going out from Huaraz and I stayed in Caraz, I had to catch it in Yungay at 7 am. I was there 15 minutes earlier and at 7.45 am there was no bus. I called to the travel agency and they told me the bus will pass soon. It showed up at 8.30 am. Later, I knew some passengers were late and the bus was stopped by a police man.
I’m sharing this experience, so you can be aware that the tour can be late. Maybe this is something unusual but sometimes it happens.
As it was planned, we made 2 stops: for taking breakfast and for taking pictures at Laguna de Llanganuco.
The travel guide only spoke Spanish so some people couldn’t communicate with him. He told us to come back from whatever we were at 12.30 in order to be at 3.30 in the parking lot. Many people didn’t follow this indication, so they kept walking to Laguna 69 in their own pace. The slowest person came back at 5.45 pm. Some people criticized the guide that he was responsable for not leaving cebolla pampa on time. Two girls were extremely worried because they had to take the bus to Lima in the night and then taking an airplane to get back to their countries.
In despite of everything, I still think going with a tour is more convenient because you don’t have to worry of being at an exact time to catch the last colectivo.
Travel time: 12 hours approx. It starts 5 am from Huaraz until 6-7 pm.
How hard is Laguna 69?
The trailhead starts at Cebolla Pampa at 3900 m/ 12795 ft above the sea. If I have to divide this trail, I would say it has 3 parts.
FIRST PART
At the beginning the trail is flat with short elevations. I made this first part in 1 hour.
Second Part
This is more challenging since the trail goes up.
There is another Laguna before Laguna 69. Its name is Laguna 68. Some people also make jokes around and call it “Laguna Consuelo” because for it can be seen as a consolation prize for those who can’t go farther. Once you arrive here, you only have 1/3 left to Laguna 69.
This second part took me 1h 30 m.
THIRD PART
When you pass the Laguna 68 you walk a short flat section. I promise you, it’s a relief for your legs. There is a sign that indicates Laguna 69 is 1 km away. This is actually not much but the steep incline makes it difficult. This is the hardest part of the hike.
Honestly, I hesitated a lot when I saw the inclination. At this point, I had headache and felt dizzy. I met a guide there and watching my conditions he estimated I could make it in 1 hour.
I encouraged myself and kept going. How long is this incline? I asked myself many times. I tried to observe all details and figured out (and sure counted also), is 5 zigzag lines to reach Laguna 69.
My pace was very slow, I did it in 1h 30 m.
Once you arrive there, the stunning view takes your breath away literally.
In total, it took me 4 hours to arrive to Laguna 69. As expected, the return takes less time, I did it in 2h 30m. In my experience, I can’t say it was easier, because I felt worst while I was coming back. I took pills for the pain but they didn’t made any effect. The headache was worst. So, I had to slow down, walk firmly and breath the best I could. I want to point out (before you get scared), my case is very particular because I struggle every time I go to high altitude. I had to take at least 3 days in the high altitude before go hiking (that is what I usually do) but in this occasion I didn’t have enough time. If this is your first time in Los Andes, go hiking after you spend 3 days (min) in high altitude.
Do you need a guide for Laguna 69?
No, you can do it independently. The hike is well sign-posted. Even if you are with a tour, you will probably follow your instincts instead a guide´s indications. That was my case. The guide of the tour I was just walked at his own pace and that’s it!
Laguna 69 Hike Details
- Total distance. 14 km/ 8.6 miles (7km going, 7 km coming back). The trail ends at the same point where it starts.
- Duration. It is hard to estimate hiking time in the altitude. Every person is different and it is impossible for me to know what is your fitness level. In order to give you an idea, I asked to different types of hikers their duration.
Fit Hikers + Acclimatized: 2h20m to Laguna 69 and 1h20 m for the return. Total: 3h 40 m. I met a guy that was in a really good physical condition. He just did Santa Cruz trek a couple a days before.
Normal Hikers + Acclimatized: 2h 50m to Laguna 69 and 2h for the return. Total: 4h 50 m.
Normal Hikers + Unacclimatized: 4h to Laguna 69 and 2h 30m for the return. Total: 6h 30m. This was my case.
- Difficulty. The last part of the hike (1km) makes it moderate.
- Elevation. Around 700m.
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Entrance Rates Huascaran National Park
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1 Day
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2-3 Days
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4-30 Days
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Local Visitors
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S/5/ USD$ 1.30
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S/15/ USD$ 3.90
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S/35/ USD$ 9.10
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S/15/ USD$ 3.90
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S/30/ USD$ 7.80
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Foreigners Visitors
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S/30/ USD$ 7.80
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S/60/ USD$ 15.60
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S/150/ USD$ 38.80
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