4311 m a.s.l.
Laguna Auquiscocha
6 km Distance
750 m Elevation gain
3h Duration
Moderate 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 towards Punta Olímpica through quebrada Ulta. Shortly after the village of Catay, take the right-hand turn towards Auquiscocha and continue to the fish farms.
2h15
Approximately, by car, passing villages and communities.
Fish farms
The route is part of Parque Nacional Huascarán.
Start of the trek
Begin the approximately 2-hour hike to the lake.
Description
Laguna Auquiscocha, whose Quechua name can be translated as “the old man's lake”, is one of the less-visited glacial lakes around Huaraz. Its low visitor numbers make it a good option for those seeking a peaceful hike and a more solitary landscape.
The trail starts among fish farms and a pine forest, gradually gaining height through queñual forests. Higher up, the landscape changes and the trail crosses an area of large ice-polished rocks, with smooth surfaces resembling natural slides. On reaching the lake, Chequiaraju and Hualcán appear, framing its waters.
Depending on the light, Auquiscocha's water shifts between deep blue and turquoise green. Surrounded by mountains and with little human intervention, it is a place where the landscape feels particularly peaceful.
Flora and fauna
- Queñual trees
- Pine trees
- Mosses and lichens
- Ichu
- Andean flowers such as shallga
- Cultivated fields
- Andean foxes
- Vizcachas
- Caracaras
- Condors
- Livestock
Recommendations
Hiking shoes
Cap or hat
Sunglasses
Warm jacket
Rain jacket
Sunscreen
Water
Snacks and/or lunch
Map
Map of Laguna Auquiscocha
GPS track to be added.
Trails can change. Do not use this space as a navigation guide.
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