Sean Smith

Lead Rock & Alpine Guide

Sean was born and raised in the Pacific Northwest. Sean is proud of the fact that he was the first 5 year old suspended from his ski school for leaving his ski group (without telling them…) on the bunny hill to charge up for some fresh powder. Sean began his climbing career on the sport climbs of the crags just outside of Seattle, but gained his fondness and appreciation for traditional climbing in Joshua Tree National Park. Sean’s climbing has taken him from Joshua Tree to Yosemite Valley, Tuolumne, Lover’s Leap, Donner Summit, Tahquitz, Moab, Washington Pass, and keeps bringing him back to the Eastern Sierra. He has experience on the summits of Kilimanjaro, Mont Blanc, Orizaba, Gran Paradiso, over 20 summits of the Grand Teton, multiple expeditions to Aconcagua, with European ski tours (Haute Route, Ortler, and Berner Oberland).

Sean’s love of the alpine has led him to many of the NW classic peaks (Mt. Rainier, Mt. Baker), Mt. Shasta, multiple routes on Mt. Whitney, Denali’s West Buttress, and an abundance of the peaks in the Eastern Sierra. As a past ski patroller, Sean loves to ski down anything that he can climb up.

Sean works professionally as a Firefighter/Paramedic and has volunteered for over 15 years as a member of Las Vegas Metro Police Department's Mountain Rescue team. Sean’s education in Molecular Biology and graduate work in Exercise Physiology lets him geek out on his hobby of staying up to date on the latest altitude medicine research.

Certifications/Education:

  • AMGA Rock Guide Course

  • AMGA Alpine Guide Course

  • AMGA Ski Guide Course

  • AMGA Alpine Skills Course

  • AMGA Single Pitch Instructor

  • AMGA Ice Instructor Course

  • AAI Avalanche Pro 2

  • AIARE Avalanche Pro 1

  • Leave No Trace Master Educator

  • Wilderness First Responder / EMT

  • Diploma in Mountain Medicine (DiMM) from the Wilderness Medical Society

  • Rigging For Rescue Small Teams, Patient care, and Highline/Guideline courses

  • Denali Rescue Volunteer for 2024, 2025, and 2026