You don’t need a great camera or any filters to take fantastic photos at Lake 69. On a cloudy day the blue is a bit muted but still spectacular. Above the lake is the glacial peak Chacraraju at 6,075m (19,931ft).

The hike itself is challenging, mostly because of the altitude. You start at 3900m (12,795ft) and Lake 69 is at 4500m (14,764ft) and the last km/ half mile is a steep uphill over the moraine that holds the lake in place. The trail is 15km (9.6 miles) roundtrip. Every description of the tour quotes the trail as 3 hours up and 2 hours down.

If the altitude is too much, hikers stop at Laguna Consuelo (literally, Consolation Lake) at 4,297m (14,098ft).

During an inventory of the over 400 glacial lakes in Huascarán National Park, somehow this lake was stuck with a number. A dozen descriptive names easily spring to mind, so this oversight seems odd.

Practicalities

Bring lunch, snacks and plenty of water. I also recommend hiking poles.