I am planning a trip to Bolivia this July for 6 weeks.My plan is to climb Huayna Potosi, Illimani, Chachacomani, Chearoco, Ancohuma and Illampu. I am looking for people who have climbed these peaks and can maybe answer some questions. How technical are Chachacomani, Chearoco, Ancohuma and Illampu? Did anyone climb without a guide service? If any one can recommend a guide service? What is the weather like during July-September? I am going by myself so if any one is interested they are more then welcome.

Check out the other threads regarding general info and guide services. Consider that you'll also need logistical support just getting into the base areas. Ride the wild llamas!

nbaisburd wrote:I am planning a trip to Bolivia this July for 6 weeks.My plan is to climb Huayna Potosi, Illimani, Chachacomani, Chearoco, Ancohuma and Illampu. I am looking for people who have climbed these peaks and can maybe answer some questions. How technical are Chachacomani, Chearoco, Ancohuma and Illampu? Did anyone climb without a guide service? If any one can recommend a guide service? What is the weather like during July-September? I am going by myself so if any one is interested they are more then welcome.

I climbed Huayna Potosi, Pequeno Alpamaye, Ancohuma and atempted Illampu and Cabeza de Condor. No guides - went as a team of two. Went late May - June and the weather was great.

It's a long time since I was there - 1999 - but Illampu was OK. Easy hike from BC across rock flats, some cairns, down a bit, along and up a moraine ridge on the right (true left) of the glacier/icefall, weave in between a few safe seracs right on the edge up near the top where the glacier is up against a rock cliff, into and across the basin, a few crevasses, across to the high camp. 2am start, a bit of a messy icy scramble to get up on to the headwall (we went on the right-hand side) then the wall itself was fine, less than 50 degrees. It was early July and already melting out though, forming horizontal penitente type things that you could slide your arm in to. I would not go there again after mid-July. The ridge above the col was narrow and winding, but not not too bad. The winds picked up and clouds came in as we reached the ice cliff around 6300m(?) so we turned back. Apparently, back then, the way around it was down and around to the right, then up the final section of ridge. It's a nice climb, in a great area. I remember the Yossi Brain guidebook description of the approach to BC was not that great, especially coming in over the high pass direct from Sorata as we did, in an easy day and a half.

Also summited Pequeno Alpamayo, Huayna Potosi, went up to 6000m on Illimani, all with friends, then soloed Sajama and Parinacota, all climbs unguided.I arrived mid-June and left at start of August. Nowadays I would not arrive later than early June. Used taxi to Huayna Potosi, hired vans to Condoriri area and Illimani, public bus back from Illimani (Cohoni) and public bus to Sorata. Public bus down highway to turn-off for Sajama village, then hitchhiked in, and out. Weather almost always good, but often windy and quite chilly at night, even in LaPaz.