Meet the Bolivian Mountains Staff
Our staff, both administrative and guiding, have many years experience planning and leading trips and expeditions of this type. We hope that all contact you have with any of us, before, during and after your trip, helps to make your experience as enjoyable and unforgettable as possible.
MOUNTAIN GUIDING STAFF
These people will be heading any trip we run onto the ice. As you will see they are extremely highly qualified and experienced. As we are a specialist organisation, we will only run as many expeditions as they are able to run, we will NOT contract guides from other sources to lead expeditions. As such you should make any booking with us well in advance to ensure the availability of the dates you would like.
Eduardo Mamani Quispe - Chief Guide IFMGA Qualified
Eduardo has enjoyed climbing from a young age (his first attempt to climb Huayna Potosi was at the age of 9!) and he has been practising it professionally for the past 13 years as a freelance guide, generally contacted for ascents where the level of risk or technical difficulty is particularly high.
His training was formalised by Swiss instructors from the National School of Ski and Alpine Sports in France, was certified with the IFMGA international mountain guide qualification in 2005 and he is recognised in Bolivia as one of the best guides in the country. Besides the innumerable peaks he has climbed in Bolivia, he has reached the summits of Bolivar and Humbolt in Venezuela, Alpamayo and Huascaran in Peru, and also reached the summit of Aconcagua (6,954m) twice in the same day starting each time from base camp.
His knowledge of the Cordillera Real is extensive, so much so that he assisted with the Military Geographical Institute's map of the mountain range (the only official map of the area)
He is an active member, guide and instructor of the Club Andino Boliviano and is member of the Bolivian mountain rescue service.
He is known as THE guide for Illampu, which is a technically very hard mountain. He has guided too many expeditions to count, including ones involving several different representatives of various embassies. He was also contracted by the President of Bolivia (at the time) - Jorge Quiroga - to climb Huayna Potosi
Gregorio Mamani - Leading Mountain Guide
Gregorio has been a professional mountain guide for the past 15 years and is considered in Bolivia as one of the few local experts in extreme routes. He has climbed throughout the Andes in Bolivia, including Illampu, Ancohuma, Chearoco, Chachacomani, Negruni, Condoriri, Huayna Potosi, Mururate and Illimani, as well as the Apolobamba range and Sajama, the highest mountain in Bolivia.
He has completed many courses from various Alpine institutes and is a member, guide and instructor of the Club Andino Boliviano. He has been contracted by many agencies and institutes of note, including, the Bolivian Federation of Ski and Mountaineering, the Military Geographical Institute, the embassies of the US, Germany, Brazil, Denmark, Spain and several other adventure travel agencies in Bolivia.
Jose Mamani Quispe - Leading Mountain Guide
A qualified mountain guide, Jose has worked in the mountains for the past 9 years. He is the younger brother of Gregorio and Eduardo.
He has completed courses from the National School of Ski and Mountaineering of France (ENSA), the Club Andino Boliviano, the Spanish Federation of Mountain Sports (FEDME).
He has worked with the Spanish and US embassies as a mountain guide, and currently spends about 50% of his waking life on the mountainside!
Julio Choque - Leading Mountain Guide
Julio grew up in the community of Chukura in the Choro valley surrounded by the Andes - the perfect playground to pick up his skills. He began his work within the expedition field working as a porter for various agencies during the 1990's and moved up to mountain guide in 2000 after completing his basic training. Since then he has attended several courses in order to expand his knowledge and experience, including a course run by the French mountaineering institute ENSA (Ecole Nationale de Ski et d'Alpinisme).
He has worked with Bolivian Mountains since 2004, initially as assistant guide and more recently has led a number of successful expeditions as head guide (including a hair raising traverse from the peaks of Illampu to Jancohuma - madness!).
He is currently preparing for his international guide certification. An extremely sought after guide amongst Bolivian agencies, we are delighted to have secured his services.
ASSISTANT GUIDES AND SUPPORT STAFF
Besides the head guides, we have a huge network of local assistants, cooks and porters. Their formal training is not necessarily quite as extensive, but the fact that they have grown up in the very same mountains and valleys we are trekking and climbing in gives them an unequalled knowledge of the areas.
ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF IN LA PAZ
It is essential to have a strong logistical support behind all wilderness expeditions and this work should not go unrecognised.
Miriam Centellas - Managing Director and La Paz Coordinator
Miriam studied tourism at university and has since worked in the Bolivian travel industry for the past 10 years. As secretary for the Club Andino Boliviano for a number of years, her experience arranging and overseeing remote expeditions grew immensely. This post also means that she has been working alongside the Mamani brothers (our three principal leading guides) for many many years.
She speaks English, French and Spanish and you will no doubt have some contact with her once out in Bolivia.
INTERNATIONAL SUPPORT
Bolivian Mountains has the benefit of international backing which has helped to further consolidate its reputation greatly.
Jonathan Cassidy - International Liaison
Jonathan had the good fortune to join the Mamani brothers on an expedition to Huayna Potosi in May 2000 and has kept in close contact with them since. He has been out into the mountains of the Cordillera Real countless times now with these guides and is extremely confident of their experience, ability and conduct with people of all levels of skill and experience. It is for this reason that he is backing them in this company.
He is likely to be the person you will deal with by email before departing for Bolivia. He has led and organised expeditions for a number of organisations over the past decade and has an accumulative experience of nearly 13 years working and travelling in South America. If you have any questions regarding these trips or any other area of travel within South America, you should not hesitate to ask his advice.