When hikers and climbers first visited Patagonia in the 40s and 50s, they found themselves surrounded by raw, indomitable wilderness and a landscape that saw little if any trace of human activity.

These early visitors saw the land and its inhabitants (the early settlers) through first-person interactions, often eating and sleeping in estancias or family houses, or hitching a ride on a truck loaded with wool. (You can read Bruce Chatwin’s book, In Patagonia, to get an idea of how forgotten this area was until the 70s.)

As the secret of Patagonia spread out, more people started visiting it, leading to the creation of services to meet the needs of this visitors: hotels, transportation and guide agencies. Today, even though the land remains raw and indomitable, visitors have a different experience than they did just 30 years ago.

When we started 40° South, we had a different approach to guiding in mind. As locals, we’ve seen the trends that changed the relationships between locals and travellers: larger groups, less interaction, and less understanding of the places they were visiting.

Although these practices may seem reasonable, for us it just didn’t add up to a high-quality experience. We wanted to capture the spirit of the early visitors, the one-on-one interactions that makes a trip not just a collection of memorable landscapes, but an enriching experience. So we set off to tread our own trail: We formed our company exclusively with locals, we keep our groups small, and we stay – as much as possible – in estancias or locally owned lodges, where travelers get to experience the old-world hospitality of the rugged Patagonia inhabitants.

So, at 40° South we share more than just stunning natural scenery. You’ll also learn about cultural, social and environmental issues that affect this untamed land. We emphasize quality trips and we encourage small-scale tourism to help develop a sustainable economy in Patagonia. More than 70% of the value of your trip will remain in Patagonia. We also donate 2% of our profits directly to nonprofits that actively support conservation and biodiversity in the area.

We thank you for your interest in 40° South, and we invite you to enjoy our artisan approach to adventure travel, handcrafted tours and expeditions. A memorable adventure awaits you.

Hector Bianchi
President
40° South Expeditions

Hector Bianchi - President and U.S. contact
Born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Hector has a degree in Physical Education from the National Institute of Physical Education.

Since he was 14, his love for the Patagonia wilderness led him on many trips: He has climbed several peaks near the Fitz Roy area, in Frey, and Mount San Lorenzo in Perito Moreno National Park. He also has hiked and climbed in both the northern and southern regions of Patagonia for many years. He speaks fluent Spanish and English, and resides in Ventura, California.

Currently he is focusing his efforts on developing business models in Patagonia that support sustainability, and weaving the philosophy of the wildlands conservation movement into the context of 40° South Expeditions.

Our Team

Merlin Lipsitz - Senior Guide - Southern Patagonia

Merlin is a certified ski instructor, an AAGM (Argentinean Association of Mountain Guides) certified Mountain Guide and an AAGM Rock/Ice Climbing Instructor. He is also a US Certified Wilderness First Responder graduate.

His ascents include the Guillaumet and Poincenot spires in the Fitz Roy region, Alpamayo in Peru, several big-wall ascents on El Capitan in Yosemite, California and a first ascent of Cerro Dos Picos in Los Glaciares National Park.

He speaks fluent Spanish and English, and resides in Bariloche and El Chalten, Argentina. His main interests are environmental issues in Patagonia, and conservation efforts of mountain wilderness.

Nicolas de la Cruz
Senior Guide - Aconcagua and Northern Patagonia

Nicolas has over twenty years of experience in the mountains, climbing rock, ice and high-altitude summits all over the world. He is a board member of the AAGM, (Argentine Association of Mountain Guides), a technical consultant for the Eco Challenge®, and also has a degree in Geology. He is an instructor in the courses to train Mountain Guides in Argentina, and when he is not guiding he also finds time to manage a mountain hut in Northern Patagonia. He has climbed in Patagonia, Aconcagua, Peru, Bolivia, the Alps, and also in the Himalayas where he summited XiXa Pagma, an 8,013 meter peak. Nicolas speaks fluent English, French and Spanish.