Alternative Laguna 69 hike : Panorama Trek

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If you love hiking and are a mountain lover, Laguna 69 should be on the top of your list. The rewarding views of Laguna 69 at the end make the hike and the lake absolutely worth visiting. While most of the crowd takes the tour for the regular Laguna 69 hike, we got a chance to experience an alternative Laguna 69 hike. We witnessed spectacular and different views throughout the hike, which was a bonus. In this article, we take more about the Alternative Laguna 69 hike or the Panorama Trek and what to expect.

If you have just started planning your Peru trip, we suggest starting with our 2+ weeks Peru itinerary and reading about our impressions of this beautiful country.

About Laguna 69

Laguna 69 is part of the Huascaran National Park which consists of more than 400 lakes, including Laguna Paron. It’s one of the most beautiful lakes in the region. No wonder, in the recent past, Laguna 69 has gained a lot of popularity. A lot of tourists travel to Huaraz to do this hike.

Located at 4500m, this hike is not for the fainthearted. Due to high altitude, this hike is a challenging hike even for experienced hikers.

How to get to Laguna 69

Acclimitasion before planning the hike

Since the lake is situated at a high altitude, you need to give your body time to acclimatize. The most popular towns for acclimatization are Huaraz (3050m) and Caraz (2256m). Huaraz is a bigger town and hence a more popular base for hikes in the Huascaran National Park.

We recommend resting for a minimum of 24 hours before attempting any hike. Your body needs to get used to the lower oxygen level and needs to function well in that condition before you put it through strenuous activity. On day 2, we recommend attempting a shorter hike to prepare your body further. The best option would be to visit Laguna Churup, which is just a small colectivo ride away. That way you would be able to judge your fitness level and your acclimatization to higher altitudes. You can then proceed to either tour Laguna Paron followed by Laguna 69.

You could also consider making Caraz your base for these hikes. Since Caraz is closer to the lake, you cut short your travel back and forth by around 4-5 hours, which means that you will get more rest before and after your hikes.

Read about our day tour to Laguna Paron.

Tour Vs Hiking on your own

If you want to do the alternative laguna 69 hike, also called the Panorama trek, it will have to be a guided tour. Akilpo adventure specialists offer this hike and it costs around $45 USD per person, for the transfer, breakfast, lunch, and certified guides. We of course recommend booking one day before and in person, as they plan the hikes on specific days based on the number of bookings. Also, they do give a discount in person, so the cost would be slightly lesser than this.

While the Alternative Laguna 69 hike takes about 3.5 hours to reach the lake, the classic hike takes about 7 hours one way. There are tours available for the classic Laguna 69 hike through various travel agencies in Huaraz. These hiking tours are much cheaper and could cost between 30-40 soles per person.

It is possible to do the Classic Laguna 69 hiking tour on your own. The transportation will cost more money and cause stress as you need to manage your transportation back to your base. Taxi to and fro would cost between 150-200 soles. You can also consider taking a combination of bus and Colectivos but managing the return timings isn’t easy.

Our recommendation is to go for a tour, for a smooth and stress-free experience.

Alternative Laguna 69 Hike : Panorama Trek

We booked Akilpo guesthouse through booking.com and hence got to know about this beautiful Alternative Laguna 69 hike. It was highly recommended by them and we were so glad we got a chance to experience this. The Panorama Trek includes 2 certified guides, breakfast, lunch, transportation to and from the lake.

They will pick you up in a small van at about 3:00 am and you will reach the trailhead just before sunrise. The trailhead is at a higher altitude than the lake itself, so this hike puts you at an advantage over the Classic Laguna 69 hike. You will have breakfast at sunrise overlooking the golden Cordillera Blanca. The view was magical and created memories of a lifetime. The top of Nevado Huascarán, Peru’s highest mountain, looked as if it was covered with bright orange marmalade.

The first 1 hour of the hike is easy, as there isn’t much ascend and the path is straight. Only when you merge with the classic hike route along with other tours, the hike gets challenging. That’s when you will need to ascend about 400m of altitude. The last stretch has steep inclined switchbacks that will quite literally take your breath away.

When you reach the lake, you have about 1 hour to have lunch and take photos before you proceed on your hike back to Cebollapampa which is the trailhead of Classic Laguna 69 hike.

The trek is definitely challenging, tiresome, strenuous, frustrating, and also rewarding at the same time. You would pass through lush green vegetation, steep inclined switchbacks (the zig-zag paths), flatlands, and a few lakes. You will definitely create memories for a lifetime on this hike.

What to pack for your hike to Laguna 69:

Water: You need to carry enough water to last you one full day’s hike at a high altitude. We carried 1L each.
Snacks: Carry energy bars, fruits, etc that will keep you energized throughout. In addition, you will need to carry your own lunch box that the tour provides.
Cocoa leaves and candies: These are really helpful to beat altitude sickness, and we can’t recommend them enough.
Altitude sickness medicines: These should be with you throughout your Peru trip, and are very helpful with headaches and other altitude sickness symptoms.
Hiking Boots and Hiking Poles: We can’t stress how important it is to wear good hiking shoes. The terrain is often uneven, muddy, and not so smooth. Good hiking boots make the experience much more enjoyable. We used hiking poles in all our hikes in Peru and they helped reduce stress on knees and legs.
Hats, sunglasses, and sunscreen: At such a high altitude you will easily get sunburnt. So, these items are a must.
Warm jacket and raincoat: The weather changes throughout the day. It’s cold when you start the hike and gets warmer as the day passes. You need to be prepared for all kinds of weather conditions.

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Alternative Laguna 69 hike : Panorama Trek

About Laguna 69