Charles Albert

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Also known as: Barefoot Charles and Mowgli

Quick Info

From: France 🇫🇷
Date of birth: 10th September 1997
Age: 28 years old
Gender: Male
Hardest Boulder (Worked): 8C+

Charles Albert is one of the worlds best and most particular boulderers. Charles ability is hard to define on paper due to his unique choice in style: he typically climbs without the use of chalk, climbing shoes, and kneepads. In this style Charles is undoubtedly a master with no one repeating any of his boulders in the the same style as he climbed them.

Charles is notable for his hard first ascents, for example La Révolutionnaire Assis 8C+/V16 and Hypothèse Assis 8C+/V16. In 2018 Charles did the first ascent of No Kpote Only in which he proposed the grade of 9A/V17, however this was downgraded by both Ryohei Kameyama and Nico Pelorson. Though these ascentionists did use shoes despite the translated name being "Bareback Only".

In 2023 Charles did the first ascent of L’Ombre du Voyageur for which he proposed 9A/V17 after spending 60 sessions to complete the problem. He commented that he thought it would be 9A+/V18 for the style he did it in, without shoes or knee pads, but suggested the lower grade for an ascent in a more typical style.

Lucien Martinez:

In Font, many times I saw Charles Albert do things so out of this world I would have called them impossible without having been a witness. Like flash FAs or in a handful of runs of 8A on a move that no one else can get anywhere near, or 7B slabs in trainers by simply annihilating miserable grains of sand with his nails… [1]

References

[1] https://fanatic-climbing.com/interview-lucien-martinez-irreductible-acharne-interview-lucien-martinez-inveterate-and-tenacious/

[2] Reel Rock 16: Barefoot Charles https://www.redbull.com/int-en/episodes/reel-rock-s8-e2

[3] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cVSC9vIb-PU

[4] https://www.8a.nu/news/qa-with-charles-albert-6net8

Contributors
170 contributions since 13th January 2021.
TdG
15 contributions since 8th August 2025.
9 contributions since 7th January 2025.
4 contributions since 27th August 2024.
2 contributions since 12th July 2025.

Quick Info

From: France 🇫🇷
Date of birth: 10th September 1997
Age: 28 years old
Gender: Male
Hardest Boulder (Worked): 8C+

Charles Albert is one of the worlds best and most particular boulderers. Charles ability is hard to define on paper due to his unique choice in style: he typically climbs without the use of chalk, climbing shoes, and kneepads. In this style Charles is undoubtedly a master with no one repeating any of his boulders in the the same style as he climbed them.

Charles is notable for his hard first ascents, for example La Révolutionnaire Assis 8C+/V16 and Hypothèse Assis 8C+/V16. In 2018 Charles did the first ascent of No Kpote Only in which he proposed the grade of 9A/V17, however this was downgraded by both Ryohei Kameyama and Nico Pelorson. Though these ascentionists did use shoes despite the translated name being "Bareback Only".

In 2023 Charles did the first ascent of L’Ombre du Voyageur for which he proposed 9A/V17 after spending 60 sessions to complete the problem. He commented that he thought it would be 9A+/V18 for the style he did it in, without shoes or knee pads, but suggested the lower grade for an ascent in a more typical style.

Lucien Martinez:

In Font, many times I saw Charles Albert do things so out of this world I would have called them impossible without having been a witness. Like flash FAs or in a handful of runs of 8A on a move that no one else can get anywhere near, or 7B slabs in trainers by simply annihilating miserable grains of sand with his nails… [1]

References

[1] https://fanatic-climbing.com/interview-lucien-martinez-irreductible-acharne-interview-lucien-martinez-inveterate-and-tenacious/

[2] Reel Rock 16: Barefoot Charles https://www.redbull.com/int-en/episodes/reel-rock-s8-e2

[3] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cVSC9vIb-PU

[4] https://www.8a.nu/news/qa-with-charles-albert-6net8

Contributors
170 contributions since 13th January 2021.
TdG
15 contributions since 8th August 2025.
9 contributions since 7th January 2025.
4 contributions since 27th August 2024.
2 contributions since 12th July 2025.

Podcasts

Library

Pics + Vids

No pics or vids yet.

Ascents

34 recorded ascents.

This timeline is missing some ascents where the date of the ascent is unknown.
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Climb Grade Style Ascent Date Suggested Grade

References

[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IefAza76V70

References

[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mAJbCPUIShc
Climb Grade Style Ascent Date Suggested Grade

After 8 years of attempts, Charles dislocated his shoulder on the move to the lip, leaving him unable to make the easy finishing mantle.

References

[1] https://www.redbull.com/int-en/episodes/reel-rock-s8-e2

[2] https://open.spotify.com/episode/5ddM0YDlUz2cC0MaOWkuo9

[3] https://www.instagram.com/reel/DFIq7X8NAIi/

References

[1] https://www.redbull.com/int-en/episodes/reel-rock-s8-e2

[2] https://www.instagram.com/p/C2FrHYaNlyo/

References

[1] http://fanatic-climbing.com/charles-albert-propose-un-nouveau-8c-bellifontain-charles-albert-claims-an-8c-first-ascent-in-font/

References

[1] https://fanatic-climbing.com/charles-albert-ouvre-hypothese-assis-8c-charles-albert-opens-hypothese-assis-8c/

References

[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hQblHth3Eas

[2] Some earlier sessions on the line https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cVSC9vIb-PU

Charles got extremely close using a new sequence for the upper part but ultimately didn't complete the problem.

References

[1] https://www.instagram.com/p/CwLn2Ywtu5a/

[2] Reel Rock 16, 2022 https://www.redbull.com/int-en/episodes/reel-rock-s8-e2

Charles came pretty close using a very unconventional sequence.

Adam Ondra:

His ability of using his toes to his advantage and finding betas which are I think completely impossible for anybody else was incredible. So basically Terranova is 3 move intro into 5 move crux into 8A+ topout, and he did the 5 move crux basically in 1 move! Doing this crazy crossover from the worst hold on the problem straight into this undercling which you normally take like a shoulder. A move which no one really ever considered before, but there is sort of like an ok edge which is quite good, but it is really far to the right, and with a climbing shoe...maybe now, thinking about it, maybe it is possible, but him doing it with his big toe, just wrapping his big toe on this little spike, he just makes it look like so easy, even though it's the hardest move I've ever witnessed anyone doing. [2]

References

[1] https://open.spotify.com/episode/5ddM0YDlUz2cC0MaOWkuo9

[2] Adam Ondra discusses Charles' attempts with Sam Prior and Aidan Roberts https://open.spotify.com/episode/7nRXraACy5I3MmscNlyqVR?

References

[1] https://www.ukclimbing.com/news/2016/12/la_revolutionnaire_8c_first_ascent_by_charles_albert-70844

References

[1]https://www.ukclimbing.com/news/2017/01/delire_onirique_assis_8c_first_ascent_by_barefoot_charles_albert-70890

[2] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GmftEXJTsfg?t=691

References

[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WWoTtjQi4y8

References

[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qZGA07df7Dk

References

[1] https://www.redbull.com/int-en/episodes/reel-rock-s8-e2

Charles' first 8C.

References

[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3x6xJd4Yesk
The Wagon Wheel First ascent. 8B+ Boulder | worked 2016

Left hand exit following original line

References

[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GmftEXJTsfg?t=408

[2] https://www.ukclimbing.com/news/2016/01/lalchimiste_original_by_charles_albert-70233

References

[1] https://www.ukclimbing.com/news/2016/02/le_pied_a_coulisse_8c+_repeated_twice-70263

[2] https://youtu.be/GmftEXJTsfg?t=892
BĂ©lial First ascent. 8B+ Boulder | worked Before 18th Jan 2019 8C

Charles struggled to grade the problem due to it's length (being more like a route) and because he climbed it barefoot and without kneepads, as is his preferred style. He suggested that for him it was maybe approaching 9A+, but that shoes and knee pads would almost certainly make it substantially easier. Even so, he felt 8C+ would be too harsh and so settled on 9A. [1, via google translate].

References

[1] https://www.grimper.com/news-charles-albert-libere-9a-bloc-saleve

[2] Video from a previous attempt https://www.instagram.com/reel/CsWcuwBgFwg/

[3] https://www.climbing.com/news/charles-albert-climbs-new-v17-boulder/

[4] https://watch.reelrocktour.com/featured/videos/charles-at-large

[5] https://www.grimper.com/news-ombre-voyageur-charles-albert-conquete-absurde
Le Râle du Cul Assis First ascent. 8B+ Boulder | worked Before 3rd Apr 2025

Also climbed in reverse!

References

[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7IpMG7VMo8Q

[2] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ljIyEOBxrA
Ôte-moi d'un Doigt First ascent. 8B+ Boulder | worked
Midnight Express 8B+ Boulder | worked
Le Voyageur Face a la Mer de Nuage First ascent. 8B Boulder | worked 2019

References

[1] https://www.instagram.com/p/C0r2PXFtaUa/
Prince Charles First ascent. 8B Boulder | worked Before 1st Oct 2023

References

[1] https://www.instagram.com/reel/DPUM3uIDWsp/

References

[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fD8WWzhHaHo

References

[1] https://www.flickr.com/photos/s_denys/50783826151/in/album-72177720299838556/

References

[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xt0WAZGHHJg

References

[1] https://youtu.be/mvsqn80ld2A?t=130

[2] A repeat ascent in November 2025 https://www.instagram.com/reel/DRaIPU7CNL8/
X First ascent? 8A Boulder | worked 2017

References

[1] Video from a later ascent https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KXXisEGxzro
Climb Grade Style Ascent Date Suggested Grade
Climb Grade Style Ascent Date Suggested Grade