Friends – Digital Steak

An experience climbing the Cassin on Piz Badile

Charley Radcliffe — Wed, 02 Aug 2017 12:04:57 +0000

The grin on my face is reflected in Waldo’s as he makes the last moves onto the belay. We have been climbing for 5 hours with a few more to go but the rock is simply stunning and neither of us want it to end. We didn’t know each other 48 hours ago but a...

True grit at the Lavaredo Ultra Trail – part 1

Charley Radcliffe — Wed, 06 Jul 2016 06:55:49 +0000

We’re 103km into the enormous 119km of the Lavaredo Ultra Trail and Mike Foote crosses the brow of a hill with Rory Bosio and they jog their way into the last aid station. They both smile. It is clear they are still suffering but somehow they are both still smiling, both still cracking jokes, and both...

Ski touring in Chamonix – a whole new world

Charley Radcliffe — Thu, 14 Jan 2016 11:04:27 +0000

Ski touring in Chamonix is mandatory and not having a touring set up limits not just where you can go but who wants to ski with you. It might sound strange but I now fully appreciate where this comes from. The phrase ski touring was completely unknown to me just a few years ago. I...

Climbing Tre Cime di Lavaredo – my first Great North Face

Charley Radcliffe — Sun, 23 Aug 2015 10:33:30 +0000

Fear. The persistent feeling that I’ve not been able to shake for the last week but we’re here now and there is no way out. It’s the night before we set off to climb the Comici on Cima Grande, one of the classic Great North Face routes but it isn’t the route I’m scared of,...

Climbing the Frendo Spur – A very civilised affair

Charley Radcliffe — Fri, 26 Jun 2015 06:13:25 +0000

Climbing the Frendo Spur is high up on many alpinists dreams when they arrive in Chamonix. A striking line that towers over town, rising right underneath the Aiguille du Midi telepherique in full view of all the camera happy tourists. Described as a mid-grade classic, I’ve had my eye on this route for several years...

3 Lessons from climbing in an electrical storm

Charley Radcliffe — Thu, 11 Jun 2015 10:39:26 +0000

The weather in Chamonix is typical early summer weather – amazing sunny mornings then, between 1pm and 2pm, the clouds come in and shortly after a storm kicks off. It is pretty much like clockwork. Jesse and I set off on a rock climb up high that would easily get us back to safety in time....

Single pitch rock climbing in the Peak District

Charley Radcliffe — Thu, 04 Jun 2015 06:09:51 +0000

People travel from all over the world to come and climb in what is now my back yard, Chamonix – it is truly exceptional with so much variety; from sport climbing to ice, to alpine mountaineering to alpine rock climbing. It truly is a climbing Mecca. One thing I’ve missed, however, is single pitch rock climbing...

Lillaz Gully – 2 years, so much progress

Charley Radcliffe — Sun, 15 Feb 2015 09:30:34 +0000

My life in the outdoors has been pretty short, only four and half years ago did Sophie and I sign up to climb Mont Blanc and it was a little over 2 years ago that I came to the Alps for a winter trip to try out waterfall ice climbing. In that first trip, I...

Learning to ski in Chamonix

Charley Radcliffe — Sun, 01 Feb 2015 14:49:50 +0000

“You know, I’ve not brought a beginner class over here before”. Mike, our instructor, smiles, shrugs his shoulders, and is suddenly off down a red run. 3 days into me learning to ski in Chamonix and things have suddenly got a little steeper. Once was a snowboarder For the last 15 years or so, I...

It takes two to Tango

Charley Radcliffe — Sun, 18 Jan 2015 15:42:38 +0000

Sophie and I give each other a knowing look after dinner, saying ‘do we have any chocolate?’. I get up and find some stashed away for emergencies and we both smile guiltily. It’s well into 2015 and we are both trying to undo the inevitable Christmas indulgences but it is so easy to break when...