Mountain dilemma: El Misti or Huayna Potosi??

El Misti is a walk up. There is normally no snow and you will need no technical skills. Huayna Potosi requires crampons and an ice axe and just as important: knowledge of how to use them. Also experience in negotiating crevasses is very recommended on HP. If you just want to get above 6000 m in the easiest way possible go for Chachani near Arequipa. All you need to hike El Misti and Chachani is to be well acclimatized. Feel free to ask further.

if you are pure beginner wouldn´t recommend Huayna Potosi

in Bolivia another close to 6000 m peak is the Licancabur (5916m) on the Salar trip at Laguna Verde.

You can stay overnight at the hostal of Colque close to the laguna and hire a guide there. It´s 4-5 hrs walking uphill, almost never snow

All other peals close to 6000 are for climbers with experience

I did HP recently, never having any experience over 5000 metres, and that was in a car, let alone ice axe-/ crampons etc. Its was amazing, and the views to Lake Titicaca and then the other side over the mountains towards Coroico were incredible. One of the best sunrises ive ever seen. Hired a guide direct just me and him for $100 for everything... can recommend him if you want a name... dont have it on me... Its hard over about 5800 metres due to altitude and its quite steep... benefit is starting from La Paz youre better acclimatised. Plus i smoke 30 a day, and although the last 150 metres nearly killed me its doable for most people. But basically its a walk up... no climbing involved.

I was in Arequipa (next to El Misti) in October 2004 and there were newspaper reports from vulcanologists that El Misti could blow up. You'd be pretty unlucky to get caught but find out whether she has (like Domxxx) started smoking.
Jeremy
My site with pictures of Peru

Chachani is a much easier 6000m peak than HP, from both arduous and technical point of view. But the views from HP are one of the best I've ever seen. It's tough going even if you're acclimatised (I'd been living above 4000m for two months when I climbed it!).
Bolivia is better value for guides and equipment than Peru.
Didn't climb El Misti, but some Czech people that were on Chachani the same day as me said the views into the smouldering crater were fantastic on El Misti, and more rewarding than Chachani. But... although El Misti is smaller than Chachani, it was harder (although this could be because they went up the opposite side of the Volcano to the normal route, and had less acclimatisation).
Basically, if your friends have some balls, I'd recommend HP.

I've done both of these. El Misti was just a straight forwadish walk up altho' it did snow all the way up (1st time in months). Coming down was dead easy, volcanic black sandy ash, took us an hr to get back to base camp.
Huayna Potosi was a lot harder but still do-able with a guide and a day's worth of ice climbing training. It was my 1st time with crampons and I managed it. U should be looking about $US120 for a 3 day trek. I can wholeheartedly confirm that the views from the top were spectacular and make that 200m final ice wall a better experience when ur up at the top admiring them.

How many days does it take for a El Misti or Chachani trek?

LP mentions a two day trek, with private guides and transport arranged to the base. Any comments on who to use?

Lastly, I am familiar with what an ice axe and crampons are, but I have definitely not used them before. Seems from the responses that they probably won't be needed (for a trek in early October). Could anyone confirm that?

Thanks-

Think i´ll give HP a bash, based on peoples comments.

For those who have done it can you recommend a company, or a name? How do you just find a guide without the agency?

(Domxxx - do you consider yourself fit at home?)