Charley Radcliffe

The simple life

Getting back from Pakistan 10 days early has had some perks;
1. acclimatised to 5400m
2. Work commitments being low
3. Remembering the beauty in the simplicity of just climbing.

Fine. None of these can last forever but just one more day?

Excellent.

This morning, along with and #, we headed up above Saas Fee to climb the epic NE face of Lenzspitze.

Yes, these days people things it’s a ski big you know what? It’s a fricking excellent climb too!

500m of 50-55° neve that ends with an engaging and fun alpine ridge to a second summit.

Thank you please.

After no 4000ers in 2022, it’s also nice to be back ticking this awesome list off. Just 12 more to go!

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Spring skiing!

Photos from last year when and I went on a little ski in our back yard with

on the camera, on video and bringing all the psych!

Thanks for the continued support, Kaestle!


skiing!

Is winter making a come back..?

It feels like an age since I last skied properly but maybe that’s about to change!

With one of the longest dry spells on record, the mountains are in a tricky state but that seems to be changing. A little, at least.

Hopefully a chance for more high mountain adventures with friends.

Thanks for the day , , , and !

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Front row seats to something epic

Last weekend I got a seat on the front row to watch an insanely strong team climb something awesome (and hard!)

Working with , we were documenting , and open up the new route Couloir Isaïah on the Aiguille Noire de Peuterey over 3 days.

There South side of Mont Blanc really is quite amazing. Now, I just need to head back to climb something more my level ;)

Photo 1, 4 and 5 by

The South Side of Mont Blanc

The sunny side, the wild side, the serious side.

(The side of amazing food and wonderful people!)

North faces of mountains are often the homes of hard climbing, epic tales, and intimidating objectives but not on Mont Blanc.

The North, France side is relatively benign, all the magic happens over on this side, the Italian side.

This weekend I got a front row seat, filming something special in this insane amphitheatre - full details coming imminently.

In the mean time, enjoy my office view ;)

Cold and brutal wind, icy and crusty snow, and an awesome day in the mountains with friends.

We went to have a look, we turned around when we had had enough.

Thanks guys!

Ice ice baby!

So nice to be out on the frozen waterfalls of Cogne, hanging with .loreggian and .stefano, taking ice climbing photos for .

Busy busy on the few ice falls that are in condition but also great to bump into friends!

The Aiguille Verte, 4122m.

The mountaineer’s mountain.

Gaston Rebuffat famously said you become a ‘vrai montagnard’ when you climb the Verte, no easy way up nor down.

Surely the most beautiful mountain of the alps, especially at sunset?

An inspiring piece of rock and ice that I’ve had the fortune to climb a few times - and a place I always want to go back!

“Shoot for the moon.

Even if you miss, you will end up along the stars.”

A somewhat apt quote after yesterday’s awesome ski.

Based where I am, trying to do what I do, with the friends that I have, I often find myself feeling way out of my league.

But I need to remind myself that every time I strive to keep up, it pushes me further and I get closer to reaching the unattainable.

Last night’s full moon, rising over the Aiguille du Tour.

And that’s a wrap.

I don’t think it’s possible to sum up the year in a single post - but I guess my feed sums it up pretty nicely, anywho.

But, in short, thank you world for giving me yet another unforgettable 12 months; sharing mountains, laughs, food, and drinks with some of the most inspiring and remarkable people in the world. My world, at least.

I can’t see how 2023 can top it yet, somehow, I’ve no doubt that it will.

Happy New Year, everyone!

Winter winter, where art thou?

With rain above 2000m and no temperature drop in sight, skiing feels a long way off now…

Well, dusting of the birthday hangover while looking through photos from last year isn’t all bad.

This was a fun day shooting with for

Smol.

It doesn’t take much here to suddenly feel very small and vulnerable yet at the same time empowered.

Empowered because we got ourselves here in the first place. Empowered that it is up to us to get ourselves down safe too.

Fresh tracks at first light.

Alpine starts.. the dawn patrol.. waking up at godforsaken hours.. whatever you call it, it’s always worth it.

Counting down the days until we start back at the morning metres sessions.

Where’s Wally?

Can you spot me? Wow, a fun few days filming on Dent du Geant with a great team!

produces and directs a series on the mountains of the Alps for Japanese television and this episode was lead by who will take the audience up the epic Giant’s Tooth.

A huge thank you for having me along, Ai, to for not letting me slip, for the master plan, and for these awesome drone shots.

And Italy, for always being a wonderful place to visit - even with the tunnel closed !

The madness is over..

Did anyone else think this summer was crazier than others? The whole of Chamonix seemed to be maxed out since June but now our little town is back to normal.

and I wanted to acclimatise and have a little look around up high finding this sneaky camp spot on the north west side of the Midi that sadly has come about following the massive melt over this extremely hot summer.

The state of the glacier is quite shocking and terrifying with crevasses everywhere, 10s of metres extra climbing to get onto rock faces, and boulders and detritus everywhere from rockfall over the summer..

A moment of calm to reflect while Chamonix autumn delivers a stunning sunset.

Sunset at Lac des Cheserys

Kinda works nicely as a photo too..

The Ultra Traversée de la Mer de Glace - halfway!

An epic undertaking by two epic alpinists.

Last summer a casual beer a week before and set out on this expedition in our home mountains lead to me joining them in documenting their journey.

July 2021 sucked and 6 days in, a third of the way, they boys had to bail.

This summer, the weather has played ball (maybe a little too much ball with this heatwave kicking in but at least it’s not raining everyday).

This time, 6 days in and they have arrived at the Torino, the halfway point both physically and mentally - 27.31km of wild, remote and hard alpine ridge climbing is done of the 52km to complete the loop.

Sore hands, tired bodies, and cinched in belt buckles, but no less cheer and humour, these guys are on track to make a first in the heart of alpinism.

Just the other half to go now..

Last slide? Me. Tired even just supporting from afar!

Presenting HIELO - our new film from The North Face - link below!

In January I was extremely privileged to go the epic and wild Patagonia. Words cannot describe not just how cool this place is but how amazing the people are. Oh, and how amazing the steak is!

The aim of this trip was to support and film Fernanda Maciel and Kaytlyn Gerbin as they took on running in a single push the 6 day hike around the worlds most iconic mountains - Cerro Torre and Cerro Fitz Roy.

The trip was not without its hurdles but working with Gabriel Tarso , Samuel and Gustavo made it all so much easier - and more fun!

Dream job.

Watch the film now:

https://www.thenorthface.co.uk/exploration/our-journal/hielo-continental.html

📸 Gustavo Cherro - Photography

How was your season?

A pretty common question this time of year.

For some reason I feel I’ve not skied a huge amount but then I flick back through photos and need to check myself. There have been some pretty amazing days out.

Highlights are hard to choose but a 5am start in -20°C from the Torino to shoot ’s new film lead to one of the best pitches of skiing, for sure.

How was yours?

[Still image sniped from ’s epic drone footage, though you will have to wait till next winter to see the full thing!]

Good things come to those that wait.

Scratching around to find some good snow in the ever sunny Aosta Valley but bad weather is inbound.

Time, at last, for a refresh!

Winter ain’t over yet!

Patagonia is pretty big. And everything is really far. But worth the effort.
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Views vs Snack - why do you do it?

Yesterday, and I went on a cheeky run up the the epic Paso Marconi, 44km of wild and technical terrain, climbing 3000m into a punishing headwind.

But.. the views. And the snacks!

Not a bad side of Fitzroy, hey?

Thanks for the mega Fay, Kaytlyn !

A pilgrimage to Patagonia.

I’m a little lost for words.

I’ve read about this place for years, heard stories, seen photos, dreamt to coming here.

And now I am here. Finally paying homage to these iconic peaks.

I might not be here to climb but this place, these mountains, they are no less powerful from the safety of the valley.

Mind blowing.

Rain, rain, go away.

Here’s the Aiguille Verte in the mean time.

Suns out - guns out.

A warm spell as put paid to skiing freshies - don’t worry, Snowmageddon 2.0 arrives this weekend - but in the mean time, how about some mini golf adventures?

This is actually my first time on the Crochues Traverse. A nice little summit that very quickly feels quite wild and remote.

Snow gullies, rock steps, and sketchy cornices all lead to a nice steep ski down. I say ski, I might have side strokes the top section…

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Ephemeral Dream of an Alpinist.

There couldn’t really be a more suitable name for my first route on the epic North Face of the Grandes Jorasses.

From the very first time I saw this epic face I’ve dreamed of climbing it - always wondering would I be ready when the fickle conditions arrive - and this week that dream came true.

A huge thanks to .abrahamsson and for sharing the adventure. A long and sustained route that kept on giving, right to the final moves.

Photo 1, a sunrise selfie, photo 2 from .

Sweet Jebus, I love autumn in Chamonix.

Up the Rebuffat on the Tour Ronde and down the Gervasutti where we were treated to this insane view.

(Yes. This photo is too tall for a feed post so you can have it in two parts.)

I first tried to climb the Rebuffat in 2014 with but very loose rock and very little ice had us retreating to the sun and a nice high alpine picnic.

What a route. Never hard, always interesting, and views. Yep, again, those views.

Thanks for a solid day out!