Cordillera Blanca, Peru · 2 days or 1 · 14.3 miles
Huaraz to the lake by Refugio Perú in 2 days, or in a day.
Watch the film · 347K viewsReal pages from the guide. Tap one to see it big.
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Get Day 2 freeMy GPS recording of 2 days on a relief map. The numbers are where each day starts; the red dot is the finish. The full GPX files and the day maps come with the guide.
Elevation, start to finish: highest 15,910 ft (4,848 m), lowest 12,560 ft (3,827 m).
In June 2021 I hiked to Laguna 69 in Peru's Cordillera Blanca. After a few days in Huaraz getting used to the altitude, I walked up the Llanganuco valley to Refugio Perú, slept at the stone hut at about 15,320 ft, and crossed a high shoulder the next morning to come down to the lake from above. It's the trip from my film Hiking to Laguna 69 in Peru. Since 2026 Laguna 69 is visited only through an agency authorized by the park, so this guide tells my trip and how to do it now, as a day hike or the same two-day loop: my GPX files, maps and notes for both days, the 2026 rules and tickets, getting to Huaraz, acclimatizing, Refugio Perú, costs, altitude and safety, and a trip sheet.
Watch the film on YouTube (347K views).
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I have no full gear list for this trip, so here's what my film shows I had, what I'd take now, and what I filmed with.
From my film. No brands, so no links.
What I'd bring for this hike from my current kit.
What I filmed this trip with in 2021. My setup is much smaller now (below).
Since September 2026 I film with a smaller setup: the Pocket 4 and the Mic 3 on the trail.
Everything I carry now: my gear page.
Free sample + packing list
Refugio Perú to Laguna 69 and Cebollapampa
The whole day page from the guide as a PDF, plus my hut-to-hut packing list: the 35 things I carry, with a note on each. The PDF opens right away and both come by email. You'll also get my emails about new guides and trips, a few a year.
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I'm making guides for more of my hikes, and I host a group trip about once a year. Get an email when a new guide or trip is out. A few emails a year.