This was my first hiking trip in Peru, and what a place to start! The hike to Laguna 69 was one of the top on my peru adventure travel bucket-list. The Cordillera Blanca mountain range attracts hiking enthusiasts and adrenaline junkies from all over the world. As the world’s second highest mountain range after the Himalayas, the region is rich with offerings of all sorts of outdoor pursuits from hiking, mountain-biking, ice-climbing, and more. Hike to Laguna 69 I visited the region for a long weekend with my boyfriend Steven and friends Evi and Helge. Since we had limited time and hiking experience, we decided the priority was to see Laguna 69 – the jewel in the Cordillera Crown. Located in the Huascarán National Park at 4,600m (15,092ft) above sea level, it’s one of the more accessible locations in the region, and can be visited as a day hike or a two day trip with camping. We opted for the latter. The trek is deemed as relatively challenging for non-regular hikers, thanks to the altitude and short, steep incline at the end, or as a gentle trek for the experienced – so the difficulty level is relative! We set out early in the morning with our guide Epi, who has lived and worked in the mountains his whole life – first as a porter, then a cook, and now as a trained and registered guide for the national park. Our complete package included all transport, meals, tents and equipment, which meant we didn’t have to worry about the arrangements, and only had to carry our day-packs. After a very bumpy two and a half hours by car from Huaraz, we set off on foot into the hills. One of my favourite moments was our picnic lunch on the first day. After a