Just a bit of info on guides and agencies in Huaraz as I spent a couple of months there in '06. When I first arrived I went to the tourist office and got a list of all the agencies and they also let me know which ones had a lot of complaints against them. Naturally I avoided them and checked the good ones. I used Kaori tours for some rock climbing trips and had no major problems. They put me in touch with Skyline, who seemed a little bit more expensive than most. I done a day climb and a 6 day mountaineering course with them and they were A1. Unfortunately they were winding down for the season and I still had a month left. We used a few different agencies around town, all with good reputations and at the more expensive end of the market. Each of them let us down, one tried to add on an extra few hundred dollars at the last minute. Another guide took along some friends for the trip. And another guide misled us about serac fall on Tocllaraju so he could get back to his sleeping bag as quickly as possible! Probably the most impressive of all was a guide getting hopelessly lost which led to us having to turn back before we even got half way up the mountain. Each of the guides were fully certified UIAGM guides and were registerd at the Casa da Guias.
I went back to Huaraz for a month last summer and used Skyline for the entire trip and wouldn't have a single complaint. In total In total I've spent 5 months in Peru and used an awful lot of agencies and Skyline have been head and shoulders above all the rest. If I didn't reach a summit with them it wasn't for the lack of trying and I never felt the guide had turned back for the wrong reasons. Also I always found them to be very helpful and flexible when organising a trip.
Just to sum up, the Cordillera Blanca is an amazing place and you'll have a fantastic time but on a three week trip I wouldn't take a chance on the guide.

deuder:

talk about revivng an old thread but what is Skyline charging for their 6 day mountaineering course?

Having been to both places I agree that the Peruvian peaks are much more impressive, plus Huaraz is a much better place to hang out than La Paz, Bolivia.

p.s. If you go to Peru, try La Brasa Roja on Av. Luzuriaga in Huaraz. They have some of the best pollo a la brasa anywhere.

I've climbed in both as well and would agree with folks ehre who've said it really depends on your tastes. Bolivia is cheapear, poorer, more of a third-world country, and the political situation is more volatile. The mountains are generally wilder, see less traffic, and the weather - at least when I went - was fantastic. Peru sees a lot more climbers and has the more classic routes on generally more impressive peaks and lines. Also agree with fossana that Huaraz is a more fun place to hang out than La Paz.

And speaking of Peru, I'm thinking of going next May/June. Any of you folks going to be there?

Andinistaloco wrote:And speaking of Peru, I'm thinking of going next May/June. Any of you folks going to be there?

May or June? What does the cost on such a trip run?

jhodlof wrote:

Andinistaloco wrote:And speaking of Peru, I'm thinking of going next May/June. Any of you folks going to be there?

May or June? What does the cost on such a trip run?

haven't hammered out the dates yet. But the last time I went the flights were like $600, with on-the-ground expenses being pretty minimal. I think the whole trip was just over a grand. Of course, I'm kind of a dirtbag climber.

If you have limited climbing experience, is a guide completely necessary when summiting 5000+/6000+m summits in Bolivia/Peru? I am new to this and want to be as safe as I can without over spending on unnecessary things.

If you have limited climbing experience, is a guide completely necessary when summiting 5000+/6000+m summits in Bolivia/Peru?

Depends on which peaks. Something like El Misti might be reasonable without a guide, as long as you are an experienced trekker and make sure to acclimatize. For peaks in say the Blanca or Huayuash, for example, you had better know what you are doing, even on the "easy" ones.

It must also be mentioned that guides generally aren't that expensive in those two countries. If you want some fairly "easy" 5000/6000 meter peaks and are going in October (as your other post says), one suggestion would be to contact Zarate Adventures (click on the English Flag top of the page):

http://www.zarateadventures.com/

I've gone to South America several times, mostly unguided, but guided twice. I used Zarate when I took my five year old son to Peru since I didn't want to head out there alone with my kid and wanted another adult along. A few hundred dollars will get you a long way using local guides (such as Zarate) and get you to several peaks.

Going unguided is very rewarding as well, but make sure that you know what you are doing, especially on the glaciated peaks. If you are going for big peaks in areas like the Blanca or Huayuash and are inexperienced, then you should really go guided. As mentioned, October isn't really the ideal time to climb in those regions either (which is why I mention the Arequipa area).

Thanks Scott. You have been very helpful!