Laguna Ampatune
Laguna Ampatune is a high mountain lake at an elevation of 4.280m (14,041ft) above the sea level, located in the Andes of Peru, in the Quispicanchi Province.
The road to the lake is gravel. It was the old Ruta Trans Amazónica or Rodovia do Pacifico, but some years ago it was bypassed by the asphalted Ruta 26. The views along the road are amazing, with snowy peaks on the horizon over 5.500m. With such a high summit altitude the road can be closed anytime due to snowfalls. The zone is prone to heavy mist and can be dangerous in low visibility conditions. The road to the lake is a shortcut of the Ruta 26. It’s 53.3 km long, but with 33 hairpin turns and climbing up to 4.752m above the sea level. Don’t stuff your belly too much. Eventually, you might feel vomiting temptations while climbing circuitous roads at higher altitudes. This track can get very muddy and slippery after rain making it challenging to get through. During and after a storm the road may be impassable, even with a four-wheel-drive vehicle. Do not travel this road in severe weather conditions. Despite being almost on the equator, there are year-round glaciers on these mountains. The climb is simply terrible, with a notorius lack of oxygen that tests the organisms and a high degree of steepness. Most people feel altitude sickness at around 2,500-2,800 meters. Along the road you will be very close to both the Mount Cayambe and Colque Cruz glaciers.