Markus’ passion for the mountains stems from his swiss roots. A Swiss native, Internationally Certified Guide, he grew up roaming the mountains from an early age on forming an intuitive understanding of the mountains. A highlight in his career, Markus accomplished the first snowboard descent of Tharpu Chuli in the Nepal Himalaya. Eventually, he turned his passion into his profession by becoming a certified, full-time ski and mountain guide and founded Alpine World Ascents in 2000.
One of an elite few guides in the U.S. with both AMGA and IFMGA certification, Markus has passed rigorous trainings and certifications in Alpine Mountaineering, Rock Climbing, and Ski Mountaineering. He is a Swiss-certified Level 3 Ski and Snowboard Instructor and Instructor Trainer, an AIARE Level 2 avalanche instructor and member of the instructor pool, and a backcountry observer for the CAIC. Markus has a Masters Degree from the University of Bern in Switzerland in Education and Sports. He speaks six languages.
At home in the mountains anywhere around the world, Markus accompanies his guests to many different places- popular, exotic, new or even unknown ones. With his infectious love and passion for the mountains, he carries the adventurous spirit through in his guiding on the world’s great climbs and ski tours.
