Best Illampu Climbing Guides 2025

Bolivia is full of wonders when it comes to climbing, however much of the attentions is paid to only a handful of mountains. In my second expedition with Bolivian Mountaineering, Pedro(my guide) and I went with the aim of climbing some interesting mountains, Chearoco, Illampu and Cabeza del Condor. The main focus of this trip was in the two first mountains which present a few logistical and technical challenges, from being mountains rarely visited by people to ever changing climbing routes that require experience and what I like to call "mountain wisdom". I can only highly speak about Pedro and its team which made every second of the expeditions feel profesionally managed and fun. Too much can be said about those mountains on the streets but only when you are there you see how much of a difference a great agency can make and how far can they take you. P.S. We manage to summit Chearoco and Cabeza del Condor which I promise you it is not an easy feat, however I couldnt reach Illampu´s summit (long story short I chickened out near the summit) which was very very close to our highest point.

Put briefly, don’t hesitate to book with Pedro. Amazing guide (friendly, safe, conscientious, and knowledgeable). By far the best I saw in Bolivia. Amazing climbs. Beautiful country. I couldn’t have asked for a better first experience climbing outside the United States. Pedro always goes above and beyond and is one of the nicest guides I’ve ever climbed with. He is very safe without making you feel like you’re being babied or pulled up the mountain. He always has hot food and drinks available. And he’s constantly checking to make sure you’re comfortable. I got a small stomach bug early in my trip and he completely changed the food menus to accommodate me, which got me back to full speed in no time. I saw plenty of parties climbing with other guides, and Pedro clearly had the best gear, was the most attentive, and cared the most for his client. He even took the time to drive me to the airport at 2am the day I left, despite having a full schedule of acclimatization hikes the next day. He also takes a ton of photos, which I really appreciated. I hiked/climbed 5 peaks with Pedro: Pico Austria, Charquini Peak, Huayna Potosi, Illimani, and Sajama. The schedule he put together was perfect, giving me plenty of time to acclimatize and rest but not wasting any of my days there. All of the climbs were rewarding and different in their own ways. I highly recommend a trip with all of those climbs. If I were to add any others, I think Parinacota might be cool to pair with Sajama (if you like volcanos). Otherwise, peaks like Ancohuma and Illampu would give you a great view of the Cordillera Real. Bolivia is also a great place to travel. It’s certainly a poor country, but everyone is very friendly, the countryside has unparalleled beauty, and the mountains are stunning. Again, don’t hesitate to book with Pedro. You will have no regrets.

My brother and I just recently summited Illampu with Bolivia Mountaineering. This mountain is rarely summited and required an immense amount of planning since we were coming from the United States. Working with Pedro was amazing. Pedro helped set up all the logistics from equipment to guiding services. Pedro provided us expert guides who helped us summit Illampu in 4 days. The food on the mountain was amazing, the service was fantastic, and we had highly skilled guides who helped us navigate the daunting 300m ice wall of Illampu safely and efficiently. They helped us avoid some sketchy situations and conditions. Our once in a lifetime trip was amazing thanks to Bolivia Mountaineering. The trip from La Paz to Sorata was unforgettable and we had an amazing time with our guides learning more about Aymara/ Bolivian culture, Bolivian mountaineering techniques, and so much more. For anyone looking for affordable mountain climbs in Bolivia with certified mountain guides who will help you summit safely and properly, this is the best company I found in La Paz. Pedro and his team are professionals and by far and away have the best prices in La Paz. I will be going through this company in the future when I return to Bolivia.

Bolivian Mountaineering is nothing less than an example of professionalism and dedication to one's job and passion. During the first two weeks of October I had a climbing trip to Pequeno Alpamayo, Sajama, Illampu and Huayna Potosi (French direct). Having chosen BM was the first steep towards a succesful expedition. I cannot stress enough the level of knowledge that Pedro has about mountaineering and his friendliness as a person. It is difficult to find climbing agencies that will take your goals as seriously as you do but BM goes that extra mile on whatever is under their control to make you stand on top of those peaks. We came a cross multiple difficulties during our trip due to weather but Pedro was quick and smart in coming up with an alternative while still preserving the main objetives of my expedition. For those serious about climbing or who are just starting I promise you BM is the place the go for a fun and safe experience. (Plus you are going to learn a heck of a lot about climbing and Bolivia in general)

This was my second trip with Bolivian Mountaineering (first one in 2017). I came back to Bolivia because of how amazing Pedro and his team were two years ago, and I wasn’t disappointed this time either. Pedro told me he set up the company because he wanted to do things differently to other agencies in Bolivia: focussing on quality and satisfaction rather than cutting prices. This is confirmed by my experiences: I had an itinerary planned (chearoco, chachacomani, ancohuma, Illampu) which I decided to change when I arrived in la Paz (Pequeño Alpamayo direct + condor left wing instead of chearoco). Pedro was very accommodating and flexible, and we made the change. After acclimatising we climbed the direct route of pequeno Alpamayo (which was beautiful). Unfortunately I have a long running knee injury which decided to flare up at that moment. As a result we again had to change plans (at no cost to me, and no pressure from the company) and climbed Huayna (not my first time) to test my injury. Things seemed ok so we then went to Illampu. Half way up my knee again started hurting and we decided to abort and turn back. The trip was not what I had planned and in many ways was disappointing, but I left happy thanks to Pedro. Throughout these couple of weeks, Pedro and his team were truly amazing: professional, flexible, sympathetic, and above all willing to stick their neck out: it was Pedro who told me, gently but firmly, that he thought we needed to head back down Illampu. This was hard for me to hear at the time but was the right decision, and exactly what I would want a mountain guide (and friend) to say to me in a difficult mountaineering situation. I cannot recommend Bolivian mountaineering highly enough. I have found a lifelong climbing partner and will no doubt return to Bolivia again and again.

I spoke with William on the phone before my arrive to La Paz, he was patient and explained everything to me. When I arrived, he welcomed me like a member of his family and we spoke about my plans to climb 4 summits of 6000m. We started with 1 day of ice climbing in Huayna Potosi with Javier the guide. Javier was amazingly professional and patient and took the time to explain the technical part. I continued to climb with Javier illimani and he stopped me before I hit the ground when I fell face first. After illimani we continued to climb the French route in Huayana Potosi and after that we went to climb Pomerape. We also tried to climb Sajama and Illampu but the conditions were very bad so we had to go back. Javier is an amazing guide and extremely professional I highly recommend him and The agency of William! They make you feel like family and they will always take care of you!!

The whole team at South Treks worked tirelessly to ensure my experience was a safe exciting success. Climbing Illampu has been the accent of a lifetime and I owe a lot to my guide Javier. For me the climb was a relentless seven hour summit push that stretched my body and mind to their absolute limits, Javier was my safety and support without whom I know it would not have been possible. South Treks ensured my guide spoke my language and had the experience and patience to work with a relative amateur on this most challenging of mountains. The two sherpas assigned to take care of me were charming and tended to my needs with a passion. The team at the office kept everything running smoothly from their relative comfort of La Paz. I will never forget my time both off and on the mountain with South Treks. Many thanks Josh

The only reason I'm giving five stars is because six stars wasn't an option. And I'm serious about this! I had booked a climbing trip with another company and just a few weeks before the climbing the company backed out of doing the climbs. In a scramble I contacted Bolivian Mountains and Jon came through big time! He arranged a three-mountain climb that met and beat my expectations. We did Pequeno Alpamayo, Jancohuma, and capped it off with Illampu. Another climber that decided to join for the three mountains and I warmly greeted at the airport and taken to the hotel they had booked for me, which was ideally located, clean, and comfortable. The office staff were very helpful and even tailored the food for the climbs to what I liked to eat. The guides that Jon arranged were top notch, very professional, safety orientated, and extremely personable. On Jancohuma one of the guides pulled off a spectacular move to get us over a crevasse that I'm guessing would have stopped many guides and forced them to turn around. On Illampu the team that attempted two days before us were turned back because their guides' lack of experience. We summited with ease. I really hope to get back down and do some more climbing with them again!