About us

SUSTAINABLE AND ETHICAL TRAVEL

Summit Stoke: More Than Just a Mountain Guiding Company

Welcome to Summit Stoke, where adventure meets purpose. We’re a premier mountaineering travel agency located in Quito, Ecuador offering socially responsible expeditions in Ecuador and Peru. From beginner peaks to advanced climbs, our trips combine physical challenge, technical growth, and spiritual development through unique elements like yoga and breathwork.

What sets us apart? Every journey is rooted in sustainability. We aim to leave nothing but footprints on the mountains and give back to the communities we work with. Through our soon-to-launch NGO, a portion of our profits funds free mountaineering courses and scholarships for Ecuadorian women to become certified mountain guides.

Ethical climbing

We believe mountaineering is about more than summits. It’s about personal transformation. Our passionate team ensures world-class logistics, safety, and local expertise while creating an atmosphere of camaraderie and growth. Whether you’re tackling your first peak or conquering Alpamayo in Peru, Summit Stoke is here to guide you every step of the way.

Sometimes we don’t get to reach the summit and that’s okay because it really is the mountain that decides whether we get to climb or not and for us it’s all about listening and also teaching others how to do just that. We aim to support the development of each climber that comes our way by providing a safe learning space that is focused on skill-building in harmony with our surroundings. Climb with us, make a difference and come back different!

Team size

That’s why our teams are never bigger than 10 climbers and our itineraries are built up around lots of acclimatization and pre-climb knowledge before we set out for the summits.

And this is exactly what we mean with ethical mountain climbing. Summiting is rad, but our respect for the snow-capped giants is bigger than our desire to summit and having to give in to these greater forces is a valuable life lesson in itself. Success, according to us, is not necessarily reaching the summit, but knowing yourself and the mountain conditions well enough to make qualified and safe decisions.

After any trip with us you will be one step closer to climbing mountains safely on your own.

Educational Climbing

No matter the destination, we at Summit Stoke always partner up with certified mountain guides (IFMGA or ASEGUIM recognized by The Ministry Of Tourism in Ecuador) to ensure the best quality of your mountain experience. Because of our belief in ethical climbing and our love for the journey as a whole, our programs are not focused on express climbing. They are carefully planned out as an end-to-end experience focusing on the development of each climber in a holistic way; technically, physically, emotionally and spiritually. Our mountain guides are very passionate and eager to teach others their ways. Each climb is therefore a unique partnership between you and the guide, which adds a lot of learning about leadership and mountaineering to the experiences we offer.

Sustainability

At Summit Stoke we believe that the best travel experiences occur, when they also benefit the people who live in the places we visit. Estimates from 2018 indicate that only 1,5% of IFMGA Mountain Guides are women and that percentage is even smaller in Latin America with only one internationally certified female guide in all of Ecuador to take an example. We want to help change this reality towards more equality through a pioneering travel business model built up around the beautiful practice that is mountaineering.

When traveling with us you contribute directly to helping local women of The Andes entering the mountaineering stage. Just as with our traveling climbers, we aim to create a safe space for learning in the mountains, where local women can join at no cost in order to explore and experience the world of mountaineering. The ones who fall in love with the sport and want to move in a more professional direction, will have the opportunity of getting financially supported in their studies to become certified mountain guides, and perhaps they will be guiding your next trip in the future. We believe in current climbers paving the way for future climbers and in this way the impact is undeniable.

In order to be as transparent as possible we are currently in the process of establishing an NGO: ‘The Summit Stoke Foundation’, where 5% of our annual profits will be invested along with help from sponsors. The money accumulated in this NGO will be used in order to arrange free mountaineering expeditions in the Andes for local women. With help from sponsors we also aim to supply a few yearly scholarships that local women of the Andes Mountains can apply for in order to get their Mountain Guide Education fully financed.

In order to create a positive impact as soon as possible and for our travelling climbers to be able to see the benefits of their climbs in the Andes, we have already gone ahead and calculated 5% of the estimated profits within the next 3 years and put this money aside for the NGO project, which hopefully will launch this year (2025). We can’t wait to share the stoke with many more awesome women!

About the owners

Shortly after completing their first high altitude climb together in Bolivia, Summit Stoke Founders Alberto Serrano and Amalie Kragmann realized that they were hooked on the idea of sharing with the world, the magnificent challenges that mountaineering has to offer. The following years saw Alberto and Amalie setting out for countless high altitude climbs and treks in the Andes mountains and the Alps, gaining more and more knowledge each time they summited – or didn’t. Along the way they encountered many climbers with the intention of summiting at all costs as well as also feeling this selfishness pull in themselves at times, which always led to bad decisions and bad endings, thus it quickly became a mission for the owners to help climbers overcome these moments of weakness.

That is why the concept of Summit Stoke is about the journey as a whole and not summiting at all costs; only when guided by clever decision making and extensive knowledge of the mountains in which we operate. This is not only knowledge that the guides of Summit Stoke possess, but knowledge that they are eager to pass on to you. Through their many alpine adventures the Summit Stoke founders have experienced how much the challenge of mountaineering can transform people’s lives and from this adventurous partnership emerged Summit Stoke and a desire to share that challenge, those life-lessons and the beauty of mountaineering with others. Their burning desire: To offer unique mountaineering trips off the beaten track in South America providing the highest level of growth possible for each of their climbers; beginners and advanced climbers alike, all while supporting the local women of The Andes through mountaineering.

” I successfully summited Cotopaxi with Summit Stoke. They made sure I was well acclimatized by including Corazón and Iliniza North in my itinerary. When climbing Chimborazo wasn't possible due to conditions, they were super flexible and I was able to pivot to Cayambe instead. My guide Fatima was attentive and super knowledgeable. Not only does she know the mountains well but she has great relationships with the local climbing community. Would definitely recommend the team at Summit Stoke!!!!”

“The best experience of my life. Professionals and passionate about the mountains. Excellent planning. Very punctual and organized. In those mountains it makes you feel safe. The best.”

“Excellent. Very attentive, helpful and supportive. Impeccable logistics, they adapt and anticipate very well according to sudden changes out of their hands to external events. Personalized, professional in all areas. I would return a thousand and one times to hire them. You can tell they love what they do. 100% Pura Vida”

”Montañas de Ecuador with Summit Stoke y el mejor Guía David. Muchas Gracias para todo. & the biggest challenge so far! On the list: 1: Guagua Pichincha 4776 m 2: Quilindaña 4878 m 3: Cayambe 5800 m 4: Antisana 5750 m”

"10-star experience with Summit Stoke! I traveled with Summit Stoke around fantastic and beautiful Ecuador. Summit Stoke created a very authentic and accomplished experience that I will never forget. It was clearly my best experience in South America and I am so happy that I chose to travel with them. I look forward to returning to Ecuador in the future where I would have no hesitation in choosing Summit Stoke to plan and arrange the trip for me!"

"I hiked Volcan Cotopaxi and my guide was Alberto. He was professional, reliable and a lot of fun. I couldn't have had a better partner for tackling Cotopaxi. Gracias Alberto!"

"Very grateful for so much and for the best birthday gift of my life. Summit Stoke was the best of the best experience"

"I am sooo grateful for Summit Stoke's help in Peru! They got me a spot on the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu with only a few weeks of anticipation. Normally they are sold out months in advance! In short Summit Stoke is: thorough, reliable, pleasant to do business with, competent and knowledgeable. My easiest recommendations!"

"The best option for tourism and mountaineering in Ecuador. Professional, committed, 100% attentive. Super recommended."

"My partner and I participated in the intermediate expedition in July 2024. From Day 1 of inquiring the itinerary, Amalie (the co-owner) was incredibly responsive and attentive to our questions. She was honest with her responses and provided useful feedback where necessary. Summit Stoke engaged a top-notch, English-speaking guide and cautious driver for our expedition. We felt incredible safe during the climbs as well as the drives across the country. The itinerary is quite unique compared to other similar companies. Notably, the rock climbing sessions and the glacier training were useful in reaching the summits safely. We would certainly consider Summit Stoke for our next Andean adventures."

"We reached the top of Imbabura! Thanks to our guide Pedro, who was patient and careful, we managed to reach the top of Imbabura. For me this was a dream come true, thanks to Summit Stoke for making it possible."