Charley Mace

Charley lives in Colorado and has been climbing all of his life. He is one of America's most respected and successful Himalayan mountaineers with ascents of five 8000m peaks: Everest, K2 (first American ascent of the Abruzzi Ridge), Manaslu (first American ascent), Gasherbrum II and Cho Oyu. As a mountain guide, he loves to share his passion for the mountains on trips all over the world while focusing on participant enjoyment and safety. 

Charley is one of the founders and leaders of the American non-profit charity Soldiers to Summits (now No Barriers Warriors) that takes injured service members on transformational mountain journeys and was the US arm of the Walking With The Wounded South Pole Allied Challenge. No Barriers Warriors empowers veterans to overcome barriers and reclaim lives. In 2001, Charley was hired as a guide and cameraman for The National Federation of the Blind’s Everest Expedition, which put the first blind man on the summit of Mt Everest. He loves sharing the challenges and rewards of Himalayan peaks, but is just as pleased to introduce folks to the pleasures of warm sunny rock climbing in the lower 48.

Charley has climbed and guided on every continent; successfully guiding Everest, Kilimanjaro, Mt Kenya, Mt Vinson, Mt Elbrus, Gasherbrum II, Lobuche, Cotopaxi, Chimborazo, Thailand rock climbs and Ouray ice climbs. Charley is an avid rock and ice climber as well as a strong backcountry skier and trail runner. He has a B.A. in Geology, an MBA in Energy Finance and is a Certified Wilderness First Responder.

Completed the Seven Summits:

• Everest (8,850m)
• Aconcagua (6,962m) - early alpine style ascent of the South Face
• Denali (6,190m)
• Mt Elbrus (5,642m)
• Mount Vinson (4,892m)
• Kilimanjaro (5,895m)
• Carstensz Pyramid (4,884m) - Guided standard route and climbed direct new route

Summitted five 8,000m peaks:

• Everest x 2 (8,850m) - Cameraman and guide for blind climber Erik Weihenmayer - 'Farther Than The Eye Can See" 2003 documentary
• K2 (8,611m) - First US ascent of Abruzzi Ridge
• Cho Oyu (8,188m)
• Gasherbrum 2 (8,035m)
• Manaslu (8,163m) - First US ascent

8,000m peaks:

• Gasherbrum II (8,035m)
• Nanga Parbat (8,126m) - Attempt
• Gasherbrum IV (7,925m) - Attempt
• Annapurna (8,091m) - Attempt

Himalayan Climbs:

• Lobuche (6,119m) - 'High Ground' documentary
• Island Peak (6,189m)
• Ama Dablam (6,812m)
• Lhakpa Ri (7,045m) - guided 6 blind Tibetan children ('Blindsight' documentary)

North America:

• Mt Huntington, Alaska
• Colorado rock, mountain and ice climbs
• Tetons, Wyoming
• Mt Whitney, California
• Hyalite Canyon, Montana ice climbs
• New England and Adirondacks ice climbing

Elsewhere

• Tonsai, Thailand and Philippines rock climbing
• Dolomites, Italy and Austria
• Various peaks in Bolivia and Peru
• Chimborazo, Ecuador
• Cotopaxi, Ecuador, University of Pennsylvania Wharton School of Business Venture Program
• Mt Kenya

• Started in the first wave of Bolder Boulder 10K road race with blind marathon record holder Harry Cordelis
• Finished 21st overall in 2004 Breckenridge Crest Mountain Marathon
• Finished first in age group in the 2010 Desert Rat 10 mile trail run
• Numerous other trail runs including the Pikes Peak Ascent, Doc Holiday Trail Run, Imogine Pass, Celebrate Eldorado 25K Trail Run, Basic Boulder Mountain Marathon, Golden Triple Peaks Trail Run, The Grand Traverse (Crested Butte to Aspen), Grand Canyon Rim-Rim-Rim