Guides are around $50 to $60 per day....

We are going to be there around the same time...you might try:

http://www.nuestramontana.com/

For Pisco it will be $50 / day for a Aspirante Guia (Guide in training, they are authorized to guide clients up to 5999m and up to grade AD) and $70/day for a Guia (guide).
Most reliable (to find certified aspirantes and guides) and also economic approach: the UIAGM / IFMGA certified Peruvian guides bureau (Casa de Guias) in Huaraz.
If you go through agencies, they hire the same freelance guides or sometimes trekking guides or even porters they send on "easy" routes like Pisco NR as guides (!) and add their margin on top of it...

You'll probably need to count on paying the guide for 4 days: One day to get to Cebollapampa (or Pisco base camp), one to moraine camp, one to climb and get back down to Cebollapampa, and one to get back to Huaraz. You'll also need to provide the guide with meals and tent space.

I had very good experience with the agency Andean Kingdom, located just across the casa de guias. Judging from what I heard from other people using other agencies, they were the right combination of cheap price vs serious service. Might be worth asking them about Pisco.

thoth wrote:http://www.cafeandino.com/lacima/

for a flat fee of 100 US this guy will handle ALL logistics for Peru trips. Airport pickups, hotels, bus rides, guides, everything. He is very flexible, lives down there, and does a ton of back and forth with you via excel spreadsheets you can configure to your liking.

Safe to assume you've used him? Glad to have that link for my future planning. Cheers!

psung wrote:i'd like get some feedback on gear and outfitting for a pisco climb. What do you all advise to bring in terms of clothing?

Also, as I don't really own any of the gear that I imagine would be essential for this trip, does anyone have any suggestions/insights into where the best place is to buy gear and how to minimize those costs? Is it best to combine that with the guide service or seek it out separately?

You can rent gear often from the outfitter or a nearby shop in country. At least in USA you can also rent before you leave. Since your profile doesn't say where you are from its hard to point you towards the gear stores where you can buy equipment. Cheers!

I personally know Chris Benway. He is very reliable and runs Cafe Andino.

Haliku wrote:

thoth wrote:http://www.cafeandino.com/lacima/

for a flat fee of 100 US this guy will handle ALL logistics for Peru trips. Airport pickups, hotels, bus rides, guides, everything. He is very flexible, lives down there, and does a ton of back and forth with you via excel spreadsheets you can configure to your liking.

Safe to assume you've used him? Glad to have that link for my future planning. Cheers!