Thank you to everyone who replied via pms!
I've consolidated some thoughts here, if you guys don't mind giving more advice:
Thanks I’ll most probably use the some of the reccomended guides, especially if they are also UIAGM trained.
I.e from a trip report:
http://www.summitpost.org/an-expedition ... des/547342“Eduardo Mamani Quispe of Bolivian Mountain Guides. Eduardo was an excellent guide, hilarious person, and great trip leader. He rented us good, quality gear including a new north face 4-season tent, good plastic boots, and good climbing pro. Additionally, he went out of his way to make sure we had the food we wanted. Eduardo speaks a bit of English, but if you need to write emails in English, speak to his secretary: Miriam Centellas. Here is his contact information.
His telephone numbers: Mobile: +591 75263820, Office: +591 77580433
Email:
eduardo@bolivianmountainguides.com http://www.bolivianmountainguides.com/
Address in La Paz: Av.Circunvalación #327, Alto Villa Victoria”
I’d appreciate suggestions about the hikes/climbs, so far the overall plan looks like:
a) A couple of days in Las Paz –talking to guides etc
b) Cordillera Real Fast with a trekking/hiking company together with the wife (who’s used to decent hiking in Adirondacks and Alps).
c) Parinacota for me, unless you have other suggestions? I hear this one is the easiest etc. Easier then
“Huayna Potosi and Vallunaraju are both peaks that can be climbed without experience. Success rates are high on both. Which one you'll enjoy most I find hard to say; I enjoyed both climbs, didn't have a view on Huayna Potosi though.”
Or maybe we could replace b) Cordillera Real with something among the lines of:
1 day acclimatization drive and hike up Chacaltaya Mountain (5,400 meters)
3 days acclimatization and hiking from Q'ara Quta Lake to Condoriri base camp (3,800 - 5,200 meters)
1 day acclimatization hike up Pico Austria from Condoriri base camp (5,300 meters)
1 day climb up Pequeño Alpamayo from Condoriri base camp (5,370 meters)
As per the same trip report linked above.
I'll try to get points/coordinates out of Google Earth into my Garmin, if I can get a map for the GPS and also buy local maps there:
“1:50,000 scale maps are available at the Instituto Geográfico Nacional (IGN) in La Paz. There are two IGN offices in the city: one in the Miraflores district on Av. Saavedra 2303, Estado Mayor General Casilla 7641. The other is located in Oficina 5, Juan XXIII 100. Both IGN locations are shown on the map in the Lonely Planet, Bolivia
As for boots, don't have mountaineering per say just, but I have:
a) Good leather hiking boots (Garmont).
http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=Gar ... tedIndex=6b) New winter Salomon goretex hiking boots rated to -20 C, but those are not double plastic boots...
For a one day ascent at max 30% to Parinacota it might not be worth buying extra ones such as Salewa Pro Guide Boots, what do you think?
I’d probably see what they have for renting in Las Paz instead (and I hope I can leave mine in storage at the hotel or somewhere at the guides office).
I've heard that since Steripen is not reliable in cold weather etc one should have a backup, i.e. my gravity filter, but then again, that one might get clogged in glacial run-off, which is very silty, like people indicated...
I’ve also heard that people don't charge the Steripen with the solar battery if they go out of 3-4 days? I plan to use the solar panel, just in case(well buy one with a solar panel and maybe a prefilter).
I'd take iodine and some crystals to change its taste with me on top of the above two...
Merry Xmas!