Inspiration – Digital Steak

Enough is enough – feeding the rat

Charley Radcliffe — Wed, 16 Aug 2017 07:28:49 +0000

Al Alvarez defined feeding the rat as: “the need to get out, to test yourself, to flush out the system, and, above all, to have some fun.” To feed that gnawing sensation in the pit of your stomach that drives our motivation for getting out and challenging ourselves, testing our limits and to quell our...

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...

Finding my flow

Charley Radcliffe — Mon, 05 Jun 2017 06:54:17 +0000

As I was cruising up yet another stunning crack splitting a 300m granite face up high off the Aiguille du Midi, I felt truly in my element. Recent life events have really knocked my mental strength and the first thing to suffer is my ability to climb, or at least feel comfortable climbing. My recent...

Road Tripping in the Wild West – Part 2

Charley Radcliffe — Mon, 26 Sep 2016 10:25:48 +0000

Do I write about the awesome cookies we tasted in a small Amish bakery in the middle of nowhere in Idaho? Or the perfect breakfast in Missoula, Montana? Maybe the long open roads that gave us both time to relax, reflect, and rebuild? The States is really a stunning country and one I’ve wanted to...

Road Tripping in the Wild West – Part 1

Charley Radcliffe — Thu, 22 Sep 2016 11:07:22 +0000

They don’t call this place Big Sky country for no reason – photos just can’t do it justice and we have completely lucked out with the weather and the time of year. It is quieter than just a few weeks earlier and the wide open roads are ours alone. Well, and the monster trucks cruising...

Running with Legends – The North Face athletes shake out runs at the UTMB

Charley Radcliffe — Fri, 02 Sep 2016 14:31:24 +0000

35 people stare at me expectantly. I’m standing in The North Face Store in Chamonix with their professional athletes by my side. I’m about to go running with them and a group of runners from seasoned ultra veterans to newbies like me in the lead up to the Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc, one of...

I need to keep it simple, stupid.

Charley Radcliffe — Mon, 25 Jul 2016 04:57:57 +0000

In design and engineering there is an acronym K.I.S.S – or, keep it simple, stupid – which states that most systems work better if they are simple. I came across it in web development where overcomplicating not just programming but design and user experience can have catastrophic effects for your end goal. The more I...

Italian sport climbing day trips

Charley Radcliffe — Fri, 22 Jul 2016 08:30:11 +0000

What better way to start your day than with a proper espresso and two scoops of real Italian gelato? As we fled the poor weather in Chamonix, driving through the Mont Blanc Tunnel to Courmayeur, it never fails to amaze me how different this side of the mountain can be. The Magic Tunnel This summer...

True grit at the Lavaredo Ultra Trail – part 2

Charley Radcliffe — Sat, 09 Jul 2016 06:33:43 +0000

As Mike left the first aid station, to say I was worried, is an understatement. Here he was, 33km into the 119km of the Lavaredo Ultra Trail and he was suffering from food poisoning – I was unable to even get off the sofa when I had something similar yet here he was, with 86km to...

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...