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Are there any reputable Ecuadorian guide services out there that anyone with personal experience can recommend? I'm interested in Cotopaxi and Chimborazo Fall/Winter '06. (Potential partners also welcome, by the way.) Thanks! Woodie

I can sincerely recommend Javier Herrera of www.andeanface.com or any of his guides. I met Javier in January 2006, he helped me and my friends to arrange all logistics for our Ecuador trip. In three weeks we climbed 5 peaks, including Cotopaxi and Chimborazo, and travelled extensively all over the country. Javier knows every corner there and he always had the best recommendations where to stay, eat or party, those kinds of advises that you will never find in guidebooks. Thanks to him we had a possibility to get to know a lot about this diverse country and its people. Also, he is a very nice person, intelligent and friendly, very professional and experienced climber, and certainly a great partner for your Ecuador climbs.

By the way, whole mountaineering community in Ecuador is amazing - many of their guides speak fluent English, all of them are educated, well trained and strong climbers and I made quite a few friends there. Get in touch with Javier and in case he is not available himself, he will definately recommend you the best guide for your needs.

I climbed with
these guys last year and found them to be an excellent choice. They have several programs on offer or you can customize your own trip.

I used Moggely on Cotopaxi in July 2004. $184 including transportation. I ended up with my own personal guide after another person dropped out. I would recommend them pretty highly. My understanding is they were considered one of the two most respected guide services out of Quito (I forget the name of the other). Indeed, my sense was that they seem to command respect from the other guildes on the way up Coto. My only negative comment was that I felt they put a little pressure to me to keep a good pace, I suspect they wanted to get back home early. Still, they seemed very qualified (I think my guide had climbed Coto over 200 times) and run a good operation.

Bob

I appreciate all the guide service info. Thanks!

Woodie

Hello

I recommend this guide Marco Cruz I had a really nice stay in 2004.

Best regards

Christoph

..

Scott,
Right now I have a partner who is interested in going with me the first two weeks of October. If for some unforeseen reason our plans change I would then be looking at December. If you (and your wife) have an unexpected change in fortune (which I hope you do) and then can go in October if you want, let me know, you would be welcome.
Good luck!

P.S. I think I remember seeing something about interest in the Grand Teton this coming Fall. I don't think you need a guide (I do), but I'm going with Exum as a one-day summit push following a warm-up on Baxter's pinnacle if you are interested at the end of July.

Woodie

P.S. I think I remember seeing something about interest in the Grand Teton this coming Fall. I don't think you need a guide (I do), but I'm going with Exum as a one-day summit push following a warm-up on Baxter's pinnacle if you are interested at the end of July.

Yep, doing the Grand. Nope, I won't go guided, unless my cousin counts as a guide. He leads 5.12 trad. Hopefully, he doesn't try to get revenge on me from all the times I used to tease him as a kid.

I too used Moggley's last year and thought they were great.

Hi All,

Thanks for the recommendations of these guides. My girlfriend and I are going to Ecuador from Sept 8 to the 24th and would like to climb something. Cotopaxi, probably. I have queries in to the guides above, but I'm just wondering if people could give me a sense of what they paid for guiding services.

Also, if anyone else (Scott???) is going to be there at that time and would like to combine forces, let me know. We'd like to climb between the 10th and the 14th or so...

Cheers,
Peter

Along with others who've replied, I agree that Moggely's service is pretty good. I climbed Coto and Chimbo with them, all the guides were professional and responsible, and the price was not bad.

Do you know if it is possible to hire a guide in Riobamba (or Cuenca) to climb Chimborazo as as we will be arriving from the south of Ecuador ?

Or all the serious agencies are in Quito ?
Any idea of the price for 2 people with no ice equipment ?

Thanks fellaz

Salut !
there are at least 2 agencies in Riobamba. I don't remember pricewise but by Ecuadorian standards they were expensive, yet cheaper than UIAGM guids in the Alps.
You can also hire a guide of the Cooperativo de Guillas de Guargualla (natives) for 150US$ to ascent Chimborazo (1 guid + 2 clients), you'll have to contact (phone) their salesman in Licto, south of Riobamba. In this case ask for Paco, he is very good.
I'm currently travelling but I can send you all the addresses and phone numbers later if any interest.
Ciao !

PS: I doubt you find any guid in Cuenca. But most of the Ecuadorian guids live in Ambato between Riobamba and Latacunga.

Merci Ario

If indeed you have any numbers and contacts to provide, I'll be happy to have them.
Enjoy your trip !