Alpine South
Who We Are?
Alpine South is a logistics and guide service founded by Luke Smithwick, a highly experienced and knowledgeable mountain guide that is seasonally-based in Santiago, Chile and La Paz, Bolivia. He is continually developing new skiing, climbing and trekking trips through local interaction and research.
Alpine South is a strong resource
Researching new peaks and regions, leading with the latest in western guiding safety standards and protocol, and bridging the gap between cultures to bring you a trip of a lifetime.
With more than half of our trips to unclimbed peaks each year, Alpine South is known for small groups, creative well thought out itineraries, and exploratory trips to and beyond the classic destinations in the Andes.
Trekking
Trekking is simply walking. We offer treks in five countries currently including Bolivia, Chile, Argentina, Ecuador and Peru. Treks are either in lodge-style or expedition-style. Lodge style means you stay in a lodge each night after trekking and order from a menu. Expedition style means we are bringing tents and stoves and cooking meals and camping each night after trekking. We enjoy both and take the extra time to ensure that our itineraries are created to catch the best real life experiences through cultural interaction, sightseeing, photography, peak hikes and unique gastronomic experiences.
Mountaineering
Mountaineering means climbing with others assisting in carrying your tents, ropes and expedition supplies on mountain. The climbing route is established by a team using fixed ropes and also your camps on mountain are oftentimes established in advance. This is the most popular form of Andean climbing and how most people climb mountains above 6000 meters. We offer many of these trips every year to unclimbed, aesthetic or classic peaks with trained mountain guides leading them.
Alpinism
Alpinism is climbing routes or peaks without support (people carrying your equipment, tents, etc.) or fixed ropes above base camp. This is the purest form of climbing and for that reason is the hardest and most demanding. We encourage those interested to seek this form of climbing yet it significantly reduces your chance of reaching the summit of a peak or route.
Ski Touring
Ski touring is using climbing skins on a ski to ascend from a lodge or base camp to terrain that has enough slope or gradient to ski down. We do ski touring in remote base camps in expedition style, from a lodge with a gondola, with helicopters, and with horses. There are a unique variety of ski touring options at reasonable altitudes in the Andes with high quality snow.
Ski Mountaineering
Ski mountaineering is climbing peaks with your skis and then descending the peak with skis. We do this in many different locales of the Andes and always in expedition style. Expedition style means we have a base camp with a cook and sleeping tents.
Bespoke Expeditions
Bespoke expeditions are trips created from your interest or a desired objective. Many of our trips begin this way. We encourage you to email us if you have an idea, a group, a concept or goal in the Andes and we will interact with you to create it.
Helicopter Skiing
Helicopter skiing is boarding a helicopter with your ski or snowboard equipment, flying to the top of a backcountry area, and skiing back down. We are starting to offer these programs globally, and also mixing in ski and splitboard touring with the helicopter (single lift with helicopter to a watershed, and touring there for the day). Email us to learn of the latest offerings.
Organizing my trip
Many contact us with their own plans. Let us know your trekking, skiing, and climbing goals and we are glad to assist in getting you there.
Film locations, logistics and execution
We are now adept at locations, logistics and execution of film projects in the Andes for skiing, climbing, alpinism, mountaineering, documentary, news and art pieces.