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.

Climbing Nevado Chachani in the Salinas and Aguada Blanca National Reserve

Chachani Volcano is a snow-capped, dormant volcano in the Salinas and Aguada Blanca National Reserve, located 22 kilometres from the city of Arequipa. It’s not considered a highly technical climb, but its elevation of 6,057m a.s.l. (19,872 ft) made the hike challenging.

I had originally booked to climb Misti Volcano, but on the morning of my tour (I was literally just finishing breakfast), I was told that the rest of my group had fallen victim to that all too familiar combination of too many Pisco Sours and ceviche. To cut a long story short, they postponed their tour by a day, but unfortunately for me, I had already bought a bus ticket to Cusco. He offered me a tour to Chachani or a refund. Without hesitation, I said yes to Chachani.

I climbed Nevado Mateo for my 36th birthday

“Is this even real? Are we actually doing this right now?” That’s what Travis and I kept asking each other.

This was my Sunday hike, and an early birthday present to myself. Climbing a glacier is certainly an unforgettable way to celebrate my 36th birthday. Last year I did a night SUP and blew out my candles in a glow worm cave, which is still up there as one of my happiest memories. It’s safe to say that I’ve certainly become more adventurous in my thirties!

Even though I was already awake before I heard the high-pitched noise of my alarm at 3.30am, getting out of bed in the cold is never easy. Being slightly over-excited meant that I only had a few hours sleep, but we still had two hours in the car before our hike which meant I had plenty of time to nap.

Nevado Mateo is in the Huascaran National Park (it costs 30 soles per day to enter the park) At 5,150m above sea level, it’s the highest I’ve climbed so far in Peru. Mateo is considered a moderate terrain glacier, which means you don’t need experience with crampons and ice axes to ascent to the summit. Mostly it’s the luck of the draw with the weather, however as it’s nearing the end of the rainy season and we definitely had incredible luck that day. Even at sunrise we knew that we would have blue skies for most of the day.

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.

© 2015 Five Foot Ronna

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