El Nino is back for now and (at least) 1st Q 2010.
What shall we expect to face from a mountaineering stand point in the Andes (Peru, Bolivia, Chilean /Argentinian border) in 2010 ?

The reports from this side of the Pacific (Australia), at this stage, are that it is a fairly weak El Nino. Time will tell ...

Previous El Ninos have brought rain and snow to the Peruvian and Bolivian Andes, not sure how the High Andes of Chile/Arg are affected. Here in Australia El Nino brings very hot and dry conditions, at least in the past. It has been very hot (>35C) here the last couple of weeks, but October was relatively cold.

La Nina strips the Andes of snow and ice, leaving some peaks extremely bare. 1998 was a particularly bad year. But by 1999 things were OK again.

D