"The hard truth is that you can’t be what you can’t see.
It starts with us."
About me
I am a British alpinist based in the Alps. I spend most my time in the high mountains either ski mountaineering or alpine climbing.
Growing up in the U.K. I have fond memories of hiking in the country’s picturesque hills. It was on a particularly memorable trip to North Wales that I began to become more excited for mountaineering. Shortly after, I moved to the Alps, to Chamonix Mont Blanc: the mecca of alpinism!
I have been making memories ever since and during the year of the pandemic, with its closing of the lifts, I succeeded in climbing various committing alpine routes in one push starting from the Chamonix valley.
Following on from the year of the pandemic (2022), I completed the first female ascent of the Phantom Direct route on the south face of the Grand Jorasses (the longest ice route in the Mont Blanc massif) in a single push from the valley.
In that same year I climbed the North Face of the Eiger, the American Direct on the Dru, the Walker Spur on the Grandes Jorasses, and the Cassin Ridge on Denali as part of an all female team.
In the last two years I have made twelve first ascents. One of these was a major mixed route on Trango II (6,327m) called Waa Shakil (6b/M5) in Pakistan. One was a 750m traditional rock climb (7b+, R) called “Mental Breakdown” on the Father Tower in the Mythic Cirque, Greenland. Four were new rock routes on unclimbed spires between 4,500m and 5,100m. The rest were traditional rock climbs between 60m and 330m in length.
This winter I have also made three first descents. All of these in the Alps, close to my home, steep and exposed in nature. Stratonsphèrique on the Aiguille d’Argentiere (5.4), North East Ramp on Epaule Sallière (5.3) and Le Z on Grande Fourche (5.3).
Aside from my achievements, my ambition is to inspire women to pursue their interest in alpinism. I want to influence girls to go from indoor climbing to the outdoors, and with the leverage gained from my professional climbing career, I hope to promote girls into pursuing mountaineering as a recreational hobby.
Photographer : Mathis Dumas
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Gallery
Photographer: Katie Keeley
This year, I visited both the Ak-Su and Kara-Su valleys in Kyrgyzstan where I climbed the classic Perestroika Crack and some other beautiful granite lines.
In our failed attempt to climb Chaukhamba III in India I write about the beauty, rich culture, breathtaking landscapes and an unexpected sense of safety in India.
Mark Wilding wrote an article for the Guardian that talks about my rescue in India but also the story of my career so far as a professional athlete.
Photographer: Tom Grant
This year, I skied both the Col du Plan and Mallory which are historically alpine climbing routes. I skied both of them in a single day and reflect on the exhilaration of mastering these challenging descents.
Anna Tybor and I embarked on an adventurous tour in Marécottes, a less frequented area an hour from the bustling valley of Chamonix. We skied the northeast ramp on the Epaule Sallière, a line that presented itself not only as a physical challenge but also as a philosophical puzzle: had this route ever been skied before?
Tom Lafaille and I opened a new steep and exposed ski line in Chamonix on the Aiguille d’Argentière this winter. In the ever-challenging terrains of Chamonix, finding untouched lines for skiing is quite rare.
Photographer: Austin Schmitz
Episode 174 of The Adventure Podcast featured me talking about my route to Alpinism and my recent expedition to Pakistan.
During a high pressure period in February where spring skiing conditions in Chamonix were at their best I skied a steep and exposed ski line on Aiguille du Moine. It was one of the first repetitions of a variation line opened in 2016 which is a more direct and logical line down the face.
Michelle Dvorak and I took a trip to discover rock climbing in the Mythic Cirque in Greenland. We opened two new routes in the area and UKC published an article on the lines we climbed.
Photographer: Jan Virt
5 reasons why it is such a great (though sometimes frustrating) experience to winter climb in Scotland and Norway.
In May 2023 I did an expedition to the Karakorum mountains of Gilgit Baltistan in the north of Pakistan. I made six first ascents alongside the Basque brothers Iker and Eneko Pou. This UKC article gives more details or our TNF trip.
In March 2023, I made a first ascent with Freja Shannon on a mountain called Grytetippen. This video shows some footage of the ice and mixed climbing we experienced in Senja, Norway and we talk about the new route we opened.
Editor: Dark Sky Media
In this 10 minute movie you can follow me and Michelle Dvorak on our journey to the summit of Denali and learn about some of the challenges we experienced along the way.
If you are debating on where you should go this Autumn for a quick hit climbing trip, then why not pack all your cams and travel to Cadarese for some breathtaking European crack climbing.
In this article I share some scenic photographs of the area and recommend some of my favourite and well protected climbs there.
This is an article I passionately wrote about the women in climbing who have inspired me and how 'you can't be what you can't see' when it comes to female participation in climbing and mountaineering.
In June of 2022, I travelled to Alaska with Michelle Dvorak. Here I share our experience and advice on undertaking a trip to the Alaska Range.
Home to more gold medals at the Winter Olympics than any other nation, it is no surprise that the opportunities for exciting skiing in Norway are endless!
Here I share my experience about my ski trip to Norway in April 2022.
Sam Ryder, an international journalist, producer and lover of all things sport, interviews atheletes and thrill seekers based in Chamonix.
This is a podcast with me, exploring some of the achievements I had last year.
Photographer: Lieselotte P
