Thanks will read your trip report!

Did you rent or own the helmets? As for storing stuff at the hotel or travel angecy, if it's just a second pair of boots, I might just put it on the mule...
Speaking of which does the choice in hotel matter a lot? For a couple of days in Las Paz?

'm also talking to a second guide, Eduardo(from BolivianMountainguides) and is reassuring to hear from people like you that he will take care of water and even proper food (btw, some people that used his services were picky about food, did you have any preferences?)

I shall bring my tablets(Micropour), maybe my gravity filter and maybe even a Steripen.

As for boots I bit the bullet and bought (although I did have new Salamon winter hiking boots, there were more for city, albeit rated to -20C), Salewa Pro Guide

http://shop.alpineinstitute.com/products/pro-guide

Also b/c they seem adjustable for approaches etc.(and I won't have to carry my leather Garmont boots up Parinacota, maybe only for trekking).

Need climbing crampons, will get them once the boots arrive.

Another reason that made me buy my own boots, was reading on the forum how some time the insulation of the double plastic boots you could rent in Las Paz might be gone (although the boots might still look good), so you'd freeze.

I'm just a hiker not a climber, so Parinacota being just a hike might be ideal in my case. Easier/safer then most 6k over there, correct?

Might use some of the ideas you mentioned for extra aclimatization: so far I was chatting with the guide among the lines of:
TREKKING
COPACABANA
LAGUNA AJUANI – HUAYNA POTOSI
ITINERARY:
DATE DAY ACTIVITY
1 Arrival in La Paz.


2 LA PAZ – COPACABANA.
Depart La Paz for Copacabana. Lunch in the hotel in Copacabana.
The afternoon is spent visiting Copacabana, its beautiful church which is host to the "challa" ceremonies, and the Calvario hill, an pre-hispanic pilgrimage destination. Night in Copacabana.


3 COPACABANA – ISLA DEL SOL – KHOTIA.
Transfer to Copacabana where we board a small boat towards the Isla del Sol.
A walk across the island (approx 3 ½ hrs) to visit the several ruins, Inca terraces and the "fountain of life" in Yumani.
Back to the mainland by boat and later transfer to Ajuani lagoon, starting point of the trek.

4 LAGUNA AJUANI – LAGUNA JURI KHOTA
The path is winding but appealing until we arrive at Jistaña lagoon, where we take a lunch break. In this point, the path starts ascending toward the summit. We arrive at Jurikhota lagoon, beautiful and isolated, surrounded by snowcapped mountains.


5 LAGUNA JURIKHOTA – LAGUNA GLACIAL – PASO AUSTRIA - CHIAR KHOTA
From Laguna Jurikhota we begin by ascending up a steep slope to reach Laguna Glacial a jewel nested at an altitude of 4900 meters at the foot of Condoriri.
From there we keep climbing to a second pass (Paso Austria, 5200 m.) before descending on the other side towards base camp, at the edge of Laguna Chiar khota.

6 PASO JISTAÑA – BASE DE MARIA LLOCO.
We continue trekking, Today's pass is the Jistaña pass, with an altitude of 4,900m, taking us into the valley of Racacha valley. There we will camp at the edge of the Hichu khota, at the civilised altitude of 4,450m. Base of the mountain Maria Lloco.

7 PASO MILLUNI – BASE CAMP HUAYNA POTOSI
Our final pass is the Huallatani pass (4,850m). From here, on a clear day we can enjoy the stunning views of the mountains Maria Lloco and the mighty Huayna Potosi.
In the afternoon return to the city of La Paz.


Merry Xmas!

I saw you're talkng to them, and so just wanted to chip in and give Eduardo's company bolivianmountainguides.com a strong reccomendation. I climbed with Eduardo, his brother Gregorio, and his nephew Pedro last summer. All three were friendly, safe, and very strong. Eduardo and Gregorio are incredibly, incredibly experienced with Bolivia's mountains. Climbed Illimani with Eduardo himself. Not sure what goals I'll be setting for next summer, but if I choose to go back to Bolivia I will climb with them again.

splattski wrote:Here's a TR for the trip discussed by BoiseDoc.
http://www.splattski.com/2014/bolivia/index.html

And BoiseDoc on the summit of Parinacota

Nice reports and thanks especially for the Parinacota pictures (they give a visual idea).

Sorry to hear that some of your climbs were ruined due to "tourista"
Is that diarrhea? And if so, didn't your physician give you some oral vaccine one is supposed to take twice before the trip?

Did you eat food from street vendors and salads etc, or just in restaurants? That's kid of worrisome, b/c it can ruin climbs and vacation time comes at a premium...

Happy 2015 and many more trips everyone!

Here is my recent experience with BMG Bolivian Mountain Guide.
I had a very-private tour (me alone) with BMG this June, a net 7 days (+ travelling) in the Sajama region. A planned climb to Acotango, Parinacota, Sajama.

1. I do not speak Spanish. Asked very clearly for an English speaking guide. What I was given, was a guide said to speak basic English - well, that was closer to no English. (I asked "when?", he answered "si, si".)
2. The guide communicated only minimally. No communicated planning, nothing about the weather, snow conditions or the route, not on timing, speed, nothing.
3. I had a detailed, decent plan, put together months before. The plan was messed up by the guide day-after-day-after-day. Not primarily because of the weather, or other unexpected conditions, but simply messing up, no planning.
4. Acotango in the Sajama region is considered an easy 6000er. Even when there is fresh snow, it should be done easily. Instead of going the normal route (even partly a maintained mining road), we went straight-on in the direction of the crater, "followed our nose". That seemed to me pretty unusual, uncomfortable. The guide did not communicate anything about this, why he chose this and not the normal route.
5. My guide was not only lacking the language skills, but his attitude was also fairly strange for me: I have never seen anything like what he did "guiding from a distance" ever before (100-150 meters, when I was in a fairly bad shape). Or starting talking about timing, cutover time when we are halfway up the ascend.
6. Eduardo is a certified (UIAGM), highly appreciated guide. However, be aware that Eduardo does not do any guiding any more because of health reasons (knee), he "only" manages the operations. All the other members of the staff are not certified (according to the agmtb.org site) - they still may be experienced (however, my experience with my very experienced guide was very poor).
7. BMG is a small, family-run company. They can put together and organize private tours, but when something unexpected happens, they can hardly handle it, do not have the resources for that. Example: I had an accident, and (as 10 days later, from an X-ray back in Europe, it turned out) I broke my leg (fibula). We managed somehow to get down from Parinacota (5700m to the 4x4 accessible 5100m), I walked down basically on my own. But then, when I had the next two days to do nothing in Sajama village (could not really walk those days), BMG was not able to manage to get me a transfer back to La Paz.

All in all, my verdict: very poor experience.

mjp20k wrote:I'll second Buz' recommendation for Skyline Adventures. I've traveled with them twice, and Ted Alexander and his wife run a fantastic organization.

I also recommend them at least for my trip to Peru and while I traveled Huaras they were very nice and very well organized. By the way, before I travel, it also helped me to read a little about the Peruvian culture, which is very different.

Hey All! I wanted to check if anyone has had more recent experiences with Bolivia Mountain Guides or Bolivian Mountain. I'm planning a 9 day trip into Condoriri

The recent reviews of Bolivia Mountain Guides seem mixed since Eduardo has gotten older and may not be guiding as frequently.

I would appreciate any advice on guides you have used recently