
Laguna Huaroncocha
Peru, south-america
N/A
4,580 m
extreme
Year-round
Okay, adventure junkies, listen up! You NEED to check out Laguna Huaroncocha in the Huaral province of Peru. We're talking a seriously breathtaking lake sitting way up high at 4,580 meters (that's over 15,000 feet!).
Getting there? Buckle up for Carretera 1NC. This road is a gravel beast – narrow, and a mud pit after it rains. And yeah, it’s as wild as it sounds. Avalanches, heavy snow, and landslides are real possibilities, and ice patches love to play hide-and-seek. The climb is killer steep, and the air is THIN. Trust me, you’ll feel the altitude; most people start feeling it way before you even get close, around 2,500-2,800 meters. But the scenery? Totally worth the huffing and puffing!
Where is it?
Laguna Huaroncocha is located in Peru (south-america). Coordinates: -10.0400, -74.5627
Road Details
- Country
- Peru
- Continent
- south-america
- Max Elevation
- 4,580 m
- Difficulty
- extreme
- Coordinates
- -10.0400, -74.5627
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