Marcos José Couch (born June 14, 1960 in

Buenos Aires Buenos Aires ( or ; ), officially the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires ( es, link=no, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires), is the capital and primate city of Argentina. The city is located on the western shore of the Río de la Plata, on South ...

Argentinean Argentines (mistakenly translated Argentineans in the past; in Spanish language, Spanish (Grammatical gender, masculine) or (Grammatical gender, feminine)) are people identified with the country of Argentina. This connection may be resident ...

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

, known for his professional achievements in mountains such as the

Shishapangma Shishapangma, also called Gosainthān, is the 14th-highest mountain in the world, at above sea level. In 1964, it became the last of the 8,000-metre peaks to be climbed. This was due to its location entirely within Tibet and the restrictions ...

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 () refers to a geographical region that encompasses the southern end of South America, governed by Argentina and Chile. The region comprises the southern section of the Andes Mountains with lakes, fjords, temperate rainforests, and gl ...

. 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, Argentinean, 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 the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Wester ...

, USA (1963–64),

Strasbourg Strasbourg (, , ; german: Straßburg ; gsw, label=Bas Rhin Alsatian, Strossburi , gsw, label=Haut Rhin Alsatian, Strossburig ) is the prefecture and largest city of the Grand Est region of eastern France and the official seat of the Eu ...

, France (1970–71) and

Bangalore Bangalore (), officially Bengaluru (), is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Karnataka. It has a population of more than and a metropolitan population of around , making it the third most populous city and fifth most ...

, 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 ( es, Hielo Continental or '), 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 Pat ...

. In 2004 he moved to

Bariloche San Carlos de Bariloche, usually known as Bariloche (), is a city in the province of Río Negro Province, Río Negro, Argentina, situated in the foothills of the Andes on the southern shores of Nahuel Huapi Lake. It is located within the Nahuel ...

in the Argentinean 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, usually known as Bariloche (), is a city in the province of Río Negro, Argentina, situated in the foothills of the Andes on the southern shores of Nahuel Huapi Lake. It is located within the Nahuel Huapi National Park. ...

and

city.

Notable activities

* 1978: Second ascent to the Cerro Moreno,

. * 1979: Ice Climbing Course,

Tronador Tronador ( es, Cerro 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 ...

, Argentina-Chile border. * 1980: Kayak Paddeling 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 Marañón ...

(500 kilometers)

Peruvian Amazonia Peruvian Amazonia ( es, Amazonía del Perú) is the area of the Amazon rainforest included within the country of Peru, from east of the Andes to the borders with Ecuador, Colombia, Brazil and Bolivia. This region comprises 60% of the country and ...

. * 1980: Attempt to rice the

Illimani Illimani (Aymara) 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 secon ...

(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, Argentinean 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 mountain is the biggest ski center in South America and in the Southern Hemisphere, with a skiable are ...

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 capit ...

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

Yosemite Yosemite National Park ( ) is an American national park in California, surrounded on the southeast by Sierra National Forest and on the northwest by Stanislaus National Forest. The park is managed by the National Park Service and covers an ar ...

, 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 in Argentina and Chile, west of Fitz Roy (also known as Cerro Chaltén). The peak is the highest of a four mountain chain: the other peaks a ...

. * 1987: Crossing Ski Course of the Fédération Francaise de la Montagne and the

Club Andino Bariloche Club Andino Bariloche is a mountaineering organisation based in San Carlos de Bariloche, in the Argentinian Andes. It was founded on the 13th of August 1931 by Otto Meiling, Emilio Frey, Juan Javier Neumeyer and Reinaldo Knapp, a group of fri ...

(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 List of highest mountains on Earth, highest mountain in the Americas, the highest outside Asia, and the highest in the ...

6961 meters. Peru:

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

, 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 situa ...

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, Argentinean Patagonia. * 1989: Thriatlon of

Mar del Plata Mar del Plata is a city on the coast of the Atlantic Ocean, in Buenos Aires Province, Argentina. It is the seat of General Pueyrredón district. Mar del Plata is the second largest city in Buenos Aires Province. The name "Mar del Plata" is a s ...

, 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 argentinean 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 planet's highest peaks, including the very highest, Mount Everest. Over 100 ...

, 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 TCS New York City Marathon after its headline sponsor) 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 finishe ...

. * 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 T ...

. * 1987–2000: Five climbs to the Cerro Aconcagua 6961 meters, Argentina. * 1999: Climb of the Mezcalito Route, El Capitán, Yosemite, USA. * 2003: Ascent to the

Mount Kilimanjaro Mount Kilimanjaro () is a dormant volcano in Tanzania. It has three volcanic cones: Kibo, Mawenzi, and Shira. It is the highest mountain in Africa and the highest free-standing mountain above sea level in the world: above sea level and ab ...

, Tanzania. * 2012: Kayak paddling down river, Santa Cruz river, Argentinean 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-Spanish ...

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 Quechua ''waywash'', weasel'','' or ''waywashi'', squirrel) is a mountain range within the Andes of Peru, in the boundaries of the regions of Ancash, Lima and Huánuco.escale.minedu.gob.pe - UGEL map of the Cajatambo Prov ...

, 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