Trekking to Laguna Rajucolta from Macashca

If you Google the distance of Laguna Rajucolta from the small township of Macashca, it will tell you that it’s 20km one way. Luckily for Travis and I, the colectivo dropped us off about 5km from the National Park gates, so it only added another 2 hours to our walk. The trek from the National Park gates to the lake is less than 3 hour one way and a relatively flat one at that.

From our experience, I would recommend going to the lake by taxi and getting dropped off right up to the gates. The 100 – 200 soles fee may seem a lot, but the peace of mind of knowing that you have a ride back to Huaraz will be worth it. If you’re wanting to do it on the cheap like we did, make sure to go early because the colectivos stop running back to Huaraz by around 6pm.

The stunning blue waters of Laguna Paron

If I’m being honest, the beauty of Parón is comparable, if not more striking than the more famous Laguna 69. Only have a few days in Huaraz and want to know which one to do? Here’s what I think: The hike to Laguna 69 is better, especially as you walk through the valleys and see the lush flatlands and rivers. It will also be better for acclimatization. However if you’re not planning on multi-day hikes, Lake Parón is a much easier hike (a lot lower too). You can walk around the lake’s edge and up to the mirador for some epic shots.

The alternative hike to Laguna Churup

Laguna Churup is in the Huascaran National Park and starts in the village of Pitec. It costs S.10 each way, and normally the last collectivo leaves around 4.30pm. You can also get a private taxi from Huaraz, and arrange pick up at a certain time. If you miss the last taxi, it’s an hour’s walk to Llupa where you may be able to catch a collectivo.

I was joined on this adventure by Guido, a mountain guide from Casa de Guias. He was tracking a trail that would have been mostly used by locals, possibly collecting plants used for medicinal purposes. The trail isn’t well used anymore, in fact we saw more animal prints than signs that people had been there recently. Guido taught me that if animals used a path, especially larger animals, it meant that the earth is stable.

Why you want to explore the three lakes at Laguna 69

Laguna 69 is the most famous and popular lake in Peru - it may surprise people that it wasn’t one of my first hikes in Peru. At 4,604m above sea level, it’s the highest so far and to be honest, it was probably the fact I’ve lived at altitude for four months that allowed me to truly enjoy the hike even more. Yes, even that steep zig zag section! I recognised the familiar glazed-eyes and fatigue in many of the hikers, and all I could offer was a smile and encouragement that the lake is worth the burning in their lungs.

Peru: Lake Churup in the Huascaran National Park

Lake Churup (Laguna Churup) is a beautiful glacial lake 4,450m above sea level. I’ve been in Huaraz a week, and it just wasn’t long enough for my lungs to adjust to the altitude. A month of relative inactivity has also left me in a less than ideal physical condition – both those factors combined made the hike more challenging to say the least.

The morning began with our landlady, Liliana, helping us catch a taxi and negotiated a price of 10 soles each (NZ$4.50) one way, with the drive taking an hour to Pitek (the start of the track). You can also catch a combi, but you may have to wait until it gets full before they head off. On the drive, we picked up Karina, a German backpacker who just happened to be doing the hike that day too.

It costs 30 soles (NZ$13.50) for entry into the Huascaran National Park, and you can pay that at the start of the track. We paid our driver and he said he would be back at 3pm.