Charlie Porter


Charlie Porter was an American mountaineer and climate change scientist. He is best known for his bold first ascents in Yosemite, Canada and Alaska; and his significant influence on other notable climbers and the climbing community, in part due to his creation and development of innovative climbing equipment. He has also garnered a reputation as an adventurer and geoscientist in South America.

Notable ascents

El Capitan, Yosemite, USA

Porter's notable first ascents on El Capitan include
  • Zodiac 1972
  • The Shield 1972
  • Mescalito 1973
  • Tangerine Trip 1973
  • Excalibur 1975
Prior to the above routes, Porter's 1972 solo ascent of New Dawn in which he dropped his haul bag early in the route but continued to complete the climb 9 days later, sleeping in slings and an improvised sleeping bag made from ensolite foam, gained him significant notoriety in the climbing community.

Alaska

In 1979, Porter was the first person to kayak around Cape Horn. From the 1980s onward, he lived in South America where he continued his spirit of adventure, sailing to remote locations, regularly chartering his yacht and guiding services to marine and climate scientists whose research is based in southern South America.