Visiting Laguna Paron and “Paramount” Mountain in Huaraz
Written on Friday, January 31, 2020
Somewhere, about a 10 hour drive north of Lima, lies Huascaran National Park. It’s one of the top spots to visit in Peru, if not South America. Using the mountain town Huaraz as a base, many travelers go on fantastic day hikes such as Laguna 69 or longer treks such as Whuaywash and Santa Cruz. On my first day in Huaraz, I went on a day hike to Laguna Paron and was blown away by the beauty of the lagoon and the incredible experience that kicked off my week in Huaraz.
This post describes my tour with the Akilpo tour agency to Laguna Paron and the Artesonraju mountain (aka “Paramount”). It’s a full-day tour with relatively little physical demand along a flat trail next to the Laguna Paron.
When they told me about the trek to a mountain that inspired the Paramount logo, I said count me in.
A unique tour of the famous “Paramount” mountain
The tour began at 5 a.m. when the rest of Huaraz was barely awake. There was no need fear lack of rest since there’s a 3 hour drive to get some beauty sleep before the trek. About half way of the drive, we got to the town of Caraz and the initial entrance to the park, where we began the ascent (in the van) to Laguna Paron.
The dirt roads here are narrow with a lot of switchbacks. It’s safe to say that most naps ended here since the journey was more than bumpy. I was happy to to be awake and admire the beautiful view of the valley — the bus was flanked by two majestic mountains and I could spot small streams trickling down the rocks. The sun was beginning to rise, casting a golden shadow on the valley.
I’m excited. The tour is already worth it.
Laguna Paron is a dream come true
When we stepped out of the van, my mouth dropped at the lagoon in front of me. I could have sworn I was standing in front of an HD screen rather than a real-life view. The lagoon has a deep turquoise color with clear, untouched water. It’s surrounded by snow-capped mountains, hosts small sandy islands, and is the most breath-taking piece of nature I’ve seen on my tour through Peru.
We had the best introduction to the lagoon with a hearty breakfast organized by Akilpo. While munching on fruits, granola and chocolate/banana pancakes, we took in the scenery before us and readied ourselves for the 5-hour walk.
The trail starts along the northern shores of the Laguna Paron. It remains pretty flat until the end of the lagoon where we take the path towards the Paramount mountain.
The path we walked is anything but boring. First off, we’re walking along water which I can’t stop staring at. It was difficult to even maintain conversation with my tour group since I was so mesmerized. I sound like I’m exaggerating but look at those pictures!
We passed many streams that we had to climb over and cross on wobbly wooden planks. It doesn’t sound intense but crossing these wasn’t easy! Luckily, I love me some adventure. After two hours, we passed through a cute grove of trees and began a small ascent to the Artensoncocha lake.
A hearty lunch with a view
Our group happily sat down after climbing to a small viewpoint to see the lake and the Paramount mountain. This charming point was where we had lunch, a surprisingly hearty lentil and chicken stew with rice and a small dessert! Cannot complain at all.
After the pictures and poses (if you didn’t post on Instagram were you even there?), the weather suddenly went from sunny to rainy and back to sunny. Supposedly, this is normal. These areas of the mountains can experience weather extremes in all directions and, considering our mere 20 minutes of rain, we were pretty lucky. While walking back towards the Lagoon, we enjoyed even better panoramic views of the lagoon and the snow-capped mountains.
Our bus was waiting to take us back to Huaraz at our original starting point. We arrived tired and more than satisfied with our adventure. Thanks to the organization of Akilpo and our professional guide Francisco, this day quickly became one of my best here in Peru.
Should you do Laguna 69 or Laguna Paron?
If you’ve just arrived in Huaraz, this is the perfect tour for acclimatization. Whereas Laguna 69, for example, is a difficult hike, the tour offered by Akilpo takes you around the lake on a flat surface towards the Paramount mountain with only 100m elevation. The trek takes around 5 hours that includes a lunch break with a breathtaking view.
Laguna Paron is in the Cardillera Blanca near the town Caraz in Huascaran National Park. It’s the largest and longest lake in the Huascaran Park. This valley is full of treasures such as the glacier Nevados Garcilaso, Paria, and Artesonraju — this last one being the famous “Paramount” mountain from Hollywood.
Find more information on the Paramount tour page of Akilpo.
