Exploring Laguna Llaca and trekking the Vallunaraju moraine

I’ve made it no secret that Laguna Llaca is one of my favourite places in Peru, there’s something about it that just makes me feel like home. For this adventure, we got to stay overnight at the Casa de Guías refuge hut which made it easier to start the early morning trek up the Vallunaraju moraine. We didn’t make up to the glacier, but at least 4,500 m above sea level with rocky terrain, it proved a challenging one for my knees.

We arrived at the refuge hut on mid-Saturday afternoon, and after dropping off our packs inside, we headed to the lake. It was good to explore the other side of the lake (which I didn’t get to do on my last visit), and we spent a couple of hours walking along the rocky mounds and islands in the middle of the glass-like, turquoise water. The cold wind and fading light (plus we were getting hungry too!) eventually brought us back to the hut.

Peru: The breathtaking hike that is Laguna Llaca

Cooking fried rice at 4.30am seemed like a good idea before my head hit the pillow the night before, but I soon realised that the smell of garlic wasn’t as appetizing before sunrise. Hiking in the rainy season means early starts, and we were up before many partygoers made it home from the night before. In fact, our small group of four watched in stitches of laughter as a group of young men went from potentially having a fight, to hugging each other and then chanting how much they loved each other. Alcohol does funny things to people.