The hike starts at Cebollapampa in the upper Llanganuco valley after a scenic drive past the Llanganuco lakes. The trail crosses meadows below the Huandoy wall, climbs a steep zigzag past a waterfall, levels out on a plateau beneath Pisco and Yanapaccha, then makes a final push to the lake at about 4,600 m.
Laguna 69 takes its name from a numbering system used during the mapping of the park, but its anonymous label contrasts with a setting of pure drama: ice cliffs of Chacraraju dropping straight into a lake of improbable blue. The full day from Huaraz is long, roughly three hours of driving each way plus five to six hours of walking, so good acclimatisation is important.
