Marcos José Couch (born June 14, 1960 in

Buenos Aires Buenos Aires, controlled by the government of the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Argentina. It is located on the southwest of the Río de la Plata. Buenos Aires is classified as an Alpha− glob ...

Argentine Argentines, Argentinians or Argentineans are people from Argentina. This connection may be residential, legal, historical, or cultural. For most Argentines, several (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of their ...

mountain climber Mountaineering, mountain climbing, or alpinism is a set of outdoor activities that involves ascending mountains. Mountaineering-related activities include traditional outdoor climbing, skiing, and traversing via ferratas that have become mounta ...

, known for his professional achievements in mountains such as the

Shishapangma Shishapangma, or Shishasbangma or Xixiabangma ( zh, s=希夏邦马, p=Xī xià bāng mǎ), is the 14th-highest mountain in the world, at above sea level. The lowest 8,000 metre peak, it is located entirely within Tibet. Name Geologist Toni H ...

in Tibet, or the

Fitz Roy Monte Fitz Roy (also known as Cerro Chaltén, Cerro Fitz Roy, or simply Mount Fitz Roy) is a mountain in Patagonia, on the border between Argentina and Chile.Patagonia Patagonia () is a geographical region that includes parts of Argentina and Chile at the southern end of South America. The region includes the southern section of the Andes mountain chain with lakes, fjords, temperate rainforests, and glaciers ...

. Since 1987 he is a mountain guide and has been working internationally.

Biography

Marcos Couch is the oldest son of Richard Arden Couch and Beatriz Melano. His father, US citizen, was Doctor in Theology and a priest at the US Presbyterian Church, and his mother, Argentine, was Master in Literature at the University of Buenos Aires and Doctor in Theology. The professional activity of his parents gave him the experience of living in different countries during their childhood. They lived most of their lives in Buenos Aires, in the neighbor of Flores; but they also lived in

Pittsburgh Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States, and its county seat. It is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, second-most populous city in Pennsylvania (after Philadelphia) and the List of Un ...

, USA (1963–64),

Strasbourg Strasbourg ( , ; ; ) is the Prefectures in France, prefecture and largest city of the Grand Est Regions of France, region of Geography of France, eastern France, in the historic region of Alsace. It is the prefecture of the Bas-Rhin Departmen ...

, France (1970–71) and

Bangalore Bengaluru, also known as Bangalore (List of renamed places in India#Karnataka, its official name until 1 November 2014), is the Capital city, capital and largest city of the southern States and union territories of India, Indian state of Kar ...

, India (1978). His younger sisters are Ana Gabriela and Johanna Ruth.

Career

Marcos Couch studied Philosophy at University Del Salvador in Buenos Aires and theater at the National School of Dramatic Art (today National University of Arts). However he dedicated his entire life to his third career, Mountain Guiding. He obtained his qualification from the AAGM (Asociación Argentina de Guías de Montaña), later ratify by the IFMGA (International Federation of Mountain Guides Association). Thanks to his language skills, he worked for travel agencies located in France, Belgium, United States, United Kingdom and Canada, taking adventurous tourists to the mountains all over the globe. Bajada 2

Marcos Couch started his mountain activity very young. At the age of 18 (1978) he was part of the second ascent to the Cerro Moreno, on the

Southern Patagonian Ice Field The Southern Patagonian Ice Field (), located at the Southern Patagonic Andes between Chile and Argentina, is the world's second largest contiguous extrapolar ice field. It is the bigger of two remnant parts of the Patagonian Ice Sheet, which c ...

. In 2004 he moved to

Bariloche San Carlos de Bariloche (from the Mapuche name ''Vuriloche'', meaning "people from the other side of the mountain"), commonly known simply as Bariloche (), is the largest city in the Argentine province of Río Negro and the seat of the departm ...

in the Argentine Patagonia where he enjoys practicing alpine ski, backcountry ski, windsurf, kayak paddling, climbing and hiking. He has always been passionate about photography. Lately he published some of his work and displayed his photographs in

San Carlos de Bariloche San Carlos de Bariloche (from the Mapuche name ''Vuriloche'', meaning "people from the other side of the mountain"), commonly known simply as Bariloche (), is the largest city in the Argentine province of Río Negro and the seat of the departm ...

and

city.

Notable activities

* 1978: Second ascent to the Cerro Moreno,

. * 1979: Ice Climbing Course,

Tronador Tronador () is an extinct stratovolcano in the southern Andes, located along the border between Argentina and Chile, near the Argentine city of Bariloche. The mountain was named ''Tronador'' ( Spanish for "Thunderer") by locals in reference to ...

, Argentina-Chile border. * 1980: Kayak Paddling down river on the

Huallaga River The Huallaga River is a tributary of the Marañón River, part of the Amazon Basin. Old names for this river include ''Guallaga'' and ''Rio de los Motilones''. The Huallaga is born on the slopes of the Andes in central Peru and joins the Marañó ...

(500 kilometers)

Peruvian Amazonia Peruvian Amazonia (), informally known locally as the Peruvian jungle () or just the jungle (), is the area of the Amazon rainforest in Peru, east of the Andes and Peru's borders with Ecuador, Colombia, Brazil, and Bolivia. Peru has the second-l ...

. * 1980: Attempt to rice the

Illimani Illimani () is the highest mountain in the Cordillera Real (part of the Cordillera Oriental, a subrange of the Andes) of western Bolivia. It lies near the cities of El Alto and La Paz at the eastern edge of the Altiplano. It is the second high ...

(6500 meters) Bolivia. * 1981: Attempt to rice the

Mount Fitz Roy Monte Fitz Roy (also known as Cerro Chaltén, Cerro Fitz Roy, or simply Mount Fitz Roy) is a mountain in Patagonia, on the border between Argentina and Chile.Santa Cruz River, on an inflatable boat from the Andes to the Atlantic Ocean, Argentine Patagonia. * 1982: Rock Climbing,

Cerro Catedral Cerro Catedral is a mountain located from San Carlos de Bariloche, and inside the Nahuel Huapí National Park, in Patagonia, Argentina. The complex is one of the most important ski resorts in South America and the Southern Hemisphere, with a ...

Río Negro Province Río Negro (, ''Black River'') is a province of Argentina, located in northern Patagonia. Neighboring provinces are from the south clockwise Chubut, Neuquén, Mendoza, La Pampa and Buenos Aires. To the east lies the Atlantic Ocean. Its cap ...

, Argentine Patagonia. * 1983: Winter climbing to the Agujas del Catedral (Bariloche, Argentine Patagonia) and Sierra de los Gigantes (

Córdoba Córdoba most commonly refers to: * Córdoba, Spain, a major city in southern Spain and formerly the imperial capital of Islamic Spain * Córdoba, Argentina, the second largest city in Argentina and the capital of Córdoba Province Córdoba or Cord ...

, Argentina). * 1984: Opening of the ''Ruta Argentina'' (climbing route) on the Mount Fitz Roy, Patagonia, Argentina-Chile border. * 1984: Crossing Ski through the Cerro Catedral (Argentina) and Cerro Tronador (Argentina-Chile border). * 1985: Climb of the Shield Route at the

El Capitán El Capitan (; ) is a vertical rock formation in Yosemite National Park, on the north side of Yosemite Valley, near its western end. The granite monolith is about from base to summit along its tallest face and is a world-famous location for big ...

Yosemite Yosemite National Park ( ) is a national park of the United States in California. It is bordered on the southeast by Sierra National Forest and on the northwest by Stanislaus National Forest. The park is managed by the National Park Service ...

, USA. * 1986: Crossing of the Southern Patagonian Ice Field and attempt to rise to the

Cerro Torre Cerro Torre is one of the mountains of the Southern Patagonian Ice Field in South America. It is located on the border dividing Argentina and Chile, west of Fitz Roy (also known as Cerro Chaltén). At , the peak is the highest of a four mountai ...

. * 1987: Crossing Ski Course of the Fédération Francaise de la Montagne and the Club Andino Bariloche (CAB). * 1987: He starts his guiding for the Allibert Agency (France). Argentina:

Aconcagua Aconcagua () is a mountain in the Principal Cordillera of the Andes mountain range, in Mendoza Province, Argentina. It is the highest mountain in the Americas, the highest outside Asia, and the highest in both the Western Hemisphere and the ...

6961 meters. Peru:

Huascarán Huascarán (), ( Quechua: Waskaran), Nevado Huascarán or Mataraju is a mountain located in Yungay Province, Department of Ancash, Peru. It is situated in the Cordillera Blanca range of the western Andes. The southern summit of Huascarán (Huasc ...

, 6800 metres,

Ausangate Ausangate or Auzangateescale.minedu.gob.pe - UGEL map of the Quispicanchi Province 1 (Cusco Region) (in Hispanicized spellings) is a mountain of the Vilcanota mountain range in the Andes of Peru. With an elevation of 6,384 metres, it is sit ...

6400 meters,

Chachani Chachani is a volcanic group in southern Peru, northwest of the city of Arequipa. Part of the Central Volcanic Zone of the Andes, it is above sea level. It consists of several lava domes and individual volcanoes such as Nocarane, along with ...

6050 meters. Ecuador: Cotopaxi volcano. And also guiding in mountains of in India, Nepal and Tibet. * 1988: Opening of the Vía del Orco (climbing route) at the Cerro Catedral, Argentine Patagonia. * 1989: Thriatlon of

Mar del Plata Mar del Plata is a city on the coast of the Argentine Sea, Atlantic Ocean, in Buenos Aires Province, Argentina. It is the seat of General Pueyrredón Partido, General Pueyrredón district. Mar del Plata is the second largest city in Buenos Aires ...

, Argentina. * 1990: Fourth ascent to the Mount San Valentín,

Northern Patagonian Ice Field The Northern Patagonian Ice Field, located in southern Chile, is the smaller of two remnant parts in which the Patagonian Ice Sheet in the Andes Mountains of southern South America can be divided. It is completely contained within the boundaries ...

, Chile as guide with the Accor group (France), Patagonia. * 1991: Director of the ice climbing course, Cerro Tronador, Argentina-Chile border in Patagonia. * 1992: North-South crossing the Southern Patagonian Ice Field. * 1993: First Argentine successful expedition to the

(8045 meters)

Himalayas The Himalayas, or Himalaya ( ), is a mountain range in Asia, separating the plains of the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau. The range has some of the Earth's highest peaks, including the highest, Mount Everest. More than list of h ...

, Tibet. * 1993: He was named President of the CABA (Club Andino Buenos Aires). * 1997: Expedition to the Southern Patagonian Ice Field. * 1997: 13th climb to the Mount San Lorenzo, Argentina-Chile border 3770 meters (achieving the summit with the whole group) * 1997:

New York marathon The New York City Marathon, currently branded as the TCS New York City Marathon for sponsorship reasons, is an annual marathon () that courses through the five boroughs of New York City. It is the largest marathon in the world, with 53,627 fin ...

. * 1997: Co-Producer of a documentary of the Southern Patagonian Ice Field for

América TV América TV (call sign LS 86 TV) is an Argentine television station broadcasting on channel 2 in La Plata, Buenos Aires Province, Argentina, and one of Argentina's five national television networks. It is owned by Grupo América. América TV ...

. * 1987–2000: Five climbs to the Cerro Aconcagua 6961 meters, Argentina. * 1999: Climb of the Mezcalito Route,

, Yosemite, USA. * 2003: Ascent to the

Mount Kilimanjaro Mount Kilimanjaro () is a dormant volcano in Tanzania. It is the highest mountain in Africa and the highest free-standing mountain above sea level in the world, at above sea level and above its plateau base. It is also the highest volcano i ...

, Tanzania. * 2012: Kayak paddling down river, Santa Cruz river, Argentine Patagonia. * 2015: Ascent to the Cerro Pisco and Cerro

Chopicalqui Chopicalqui or Chopicallqui (possibly from Huaylas Quechua ''Chawpi'' "center" ''kallki'' "ravine")Leonel Alexander Menacho López, Yachakuqkunapa Shimi Qullqa, Anqash Qhichwa Shimichaw (Ministerio de Educación), Wordbook Ancash Quechua-Spanis ...

at the

Cordillera Blanca The Cordillera Blanca (Spanish for "white range") is a mountain range in Peru that is part of the larger Andes range and extends for between 8°08' and 9°58'S and 77°00' and 77°52'W, in a northwesterly direction. It includes several peaks ove ...

, and the

Cordillera Huayhuash Huayhuash (possibly from Quechuan languages, Quechua ''waywash'', weasel'','' or ''waywashi'', squirrel) is a mountain range within the Andes of Peru, in the boundaries of the regions of Ancash Region, Ancash, Lima Region, Lima and Huánuco Regio ...

, Peru.

References

* Asociación Argentina de Guias de Montaña: http://www.aagm.com.ar/?team=couch-marcos * Centro Cultural Argentino de Montaña https://web.archive.org/web/20160520044408/http://culturademontania.com.ar/Historia/HIS_sengunda-ascension-fitzroy-santacruz.htm * Revista Al Borde: https://web.archive.org/web/20170510075511/http://www.alborde.com.ar/montania1/montanismo100a.htm . https://web.archive.org/web/20170510075220/http://www.alborde.com.ar/montania1/montanismobrenner.html * Revista Desnivel: https://desnivel.com/expediciones/la-suroeste-al-shisha-primera-argentina * Diario Río Negro: https://web.archive.org/web/20140623185159/http://www.rionegro.com.ar/diario/a-20-anos-de-la-hazana-de-dos-andinistas-en-el-himalaya-1168694-53285-nota_cordillera.aspx * Diario La Nación: http://www.lanacion.com.ar/95793-el-norte-hizo-cumbre-en-el-himalaya ; http://www.lanacion.com.ar/103548-prueba-de-fuego-sobre-la-nieve ; http://www.lanacion.com.ar/206592-eligieron-los-equipos-para-la-toyota-experiencia-4x4 ; http://www.lanacion.com.ar/635001-cine-de-alta-montana {{DEFAULTSORT:Couch, Marcos 1960 births Living people Argentine mountain climbers

Biography

Career

Notable activities

See also

References