4450 m a.s.l.
Laguna 513
13 km Distance
900 m Elevation gain
5h30 Duration
Advanced Difficulty
Recommended
May - Septemberbut it can be done all year round.
Ideal for
discovering a less-visited lake
Access
Tour, private car or shared minibus + taxi.How to get there
From Huaraz
Travel towards Carhuaz, then the community of Hualcán. From there, continue along a dirt road that climbs through quebrada Chucchún to Shonquilpampa.
2h20
Approximately, by car, passing villages, communities and mountain landscapes.
Shonquilpampa
The route is part of Parque Nacional Huascarán.
Start of the trek
Begin the approximately 3-hour-15-minute hike to the lake.
Description
The hike to Laguna 513 is a spectacular walk at the foot of Nevado Hualcán. Its waters are intensely turquoise, surrounded by rock walls and glaciers that dominate the landscape.
The route passes through quebrada Chucchún, an area of great beauty with smaller lakes, wetlands and broad views of nearby snow-capped peaks. From the lake, you can see Nevado Hualcán, hanging glaciers, meltwater waterfalls, glacial moraines and high-mountain ecosystems.
Did you know?
Laguna 513 is an example of new lakes created by deglaciation. Over a couple of decades, glacier 513 below Nevado Hualcán melted, giving rise to this glacial lake.
Flora and fauna
- Queñual trees
- Wild lupin
- Andean flowers such as shallga
- High-Andean wetlands
- Ichu
- Mosses and lichens
- Vizcachas
- Andean foxes
- Hummingbirds
- Caracaras
- Condors
- Livestock
Recommendations
Hiking shoes
Cap or hat
Sunglasses
Warm jacket
Rain jacket
Sunscreen
Water
Snacks and/or lunch
Map
Map of Laguna 513
GPS track to be added.
Trails can change. Do not use this space as a navigation guide.
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