Chris Brinlee Jr
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Chris Brinlee Jr
Storyteller | #CelebrateDiscomfort
 
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Chris Brinlee, Jr. is a Storyteller.

Stories, however, are not best-told from inside the walls of a cubicle, so in August 2014, Chris left his behind—quitting his fancy advertising art director job to go experience something more.

Since then, Chris’s adventures have led him around the globe—he’s paddled remote fjords in Eastern Greenland, ridden motorcycles through Vietnam, sailed with a crew to Antarctica, and climbed 6,000m peaks in Nepal.

Chris is a champion of experiences that challenge himself and others to #CelebrateDiscomfort. Those adventures are catalysts for personal growth; the lessons learned from them enable people to tackle the challenges of life, head-on.

Chris specializes in bringing stories to life for brands through multi-media campaigns combining creative direction & design, photography, writing, video, and influencer marketing. As a contributor for publications such as  Outside, The Red Bulletin, Wilderness, Luxury, Huckberry, and Gizmodo, his words, photos, and videos have inspired millions—while his strong presence on social media provide daily doses of inspiration.

Home Base: Wanaka, NZ | Age: 30 | Favorite Season: Autumn

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Photography

Photography and adventure are inherently linked—the essence of each is discovering new perspectives. Both of the world, and within.

Alpinism

Noun. Oftentimes used synonymously with "mountaineering," but implies climbing routes with minimal equipment in high and often snow and ice-covered mountains such as the Alps, where technical difficulties frequently exceed environmental and physical challenges.

Adventure

Noun. A: An undertaking usually involving danger and unknown risks. B: An exciting or remarkable experience.

Travel

Noun. The act of traveling; journeying, especially to distant places.

Impact

Verb. To have an impact or effect on; influence; alter.

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Projects

“Working hard for something we don't care about is called stress: Working hard for something we love is called passion.”


― Simon Sinek

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Stepping Out: A Celebration of Discomfort

In March 2017, Chris and his partner Christian Lanley set out on a campaign to #CelebrateDiscomfort through a series of epic adventures in Alberta. How far did they go? Find out. 

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Pole 2 Pole: An Expedition to Antarctica

In November 2016, Chris flew approximately 11,000 miles over the course of four days from an assignment in the Aleutian Islands, Alaska to Cape Town, South Africa, where he rendezvoused with Mike Horn to embark on what would be a seven week sailing journey to the world's southernmost continent.

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Zee Alps

Upon arriving in Chamonix, one will immediately come to realize why that particular village is the birthplace of Alpinism. Chamonix is a place where language is not defined vocalized communication, but rather by a mutual understanding of what each person seeks: a connection with the mountains.

It would make sense then, that an epic campaign through the European Alps should begin there; and that partnerships be forged there.

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Edge of the Earth: Discovering the Remote Reaches of Eastern Greenland

There are few wild place left in the world. Eastern Greenland is one of them. In August 2017, Chris and his friend Andrew Yasso set out in search of adventure - paddling 100 miles through a remote fjord system in search of climbable rock and first ascents.

 

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Features

Sometimes, people tell stories about Chris, too.

The Escape: Chris Brinlee, Jr.

\\\ Cotopaxi

Quitting the 9-to-5 for a Life of Adventure

\\\ Dispatch Radio

LIsten now >

Tips for Protecting Camera Gear

\\\ Carryology

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Pack Like a Pro: Adventure Photographer Chris Brinlee, Jr.

\\\ Gear Institute

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Paragliding Big Sur

\\\ Weather Channel

READ NOW >

Adventure IG Accounts That Will Make You Want to Quit Your Day Job

\\\ The Red Bulletin

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Chris Brinlee, Jr. Quit the Cubicle & Never Looked Back

\\\ The Manual

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Packing List: Nepal Photography Trip

\\\ Carryology

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Around the World with a Backpack and a Badass Beard

\\\ Adventure Journal

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Mike Horn, Explorer Without Limits

\\\ The Red Bulletin

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All the Gear You Need to Become an Instagram Star

\\\ Outside Online

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Chris Brinlee, Jr: Professional Adventurer

\\\ Switchback Kids

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Rise of the Beard Garden

\\\ Daily Mail

Read Now >

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Partners

These partners help make the magic happen.

 

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Clients

 

Commercial

Honda

GoPro

Icebreaker

OtterBox

GNARBOX

Favre-Leuba

Cotopaxi

LifeStraw

Revo

Mike Horn x Mercedes

Oru Kayak

BioLite

 

 

Tourism

Travel Alberta

Visit Greenland

I Love NY

Visit Rapid City

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Get in Touch

Have a story you'd like Chris to tell? Want to meet up abroad? Have questions about adventure travel? He'd love to hear from you.

Contact Chris

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How did you learn about Chris?

Follow @chrisbrinleejr on Instagram

As a professional adventure storyteller, hiking, to one end or another, is at the root of almost everything that I do. So, when @eddiebauer reached out to me about participating in their #WhyIHike campaign, I got stoked! For the next several weeks, I'll be sharing the reasons why I hike. Here's reason #2: I hike to reach the base of vertical ground. Climbing, specifically alpinism, is what makes me feel most alive. When I'm on a near-vertical wall of ice or rock or snow, my spirit soars. In those moments, every synapse is firing; my resolution to survive is steeled by every fiber that is inside. These experiences offer a perspective that transcends down to life below the mountain tops. I crave those expanded perspectives and that state of being, but it's only afforded by the conquering of more mellow ground--hiking, with just my boots, or snowshoes or skis upon my feet. Why do you hike? Let me know in the comments. 📷: @brandoyelavichexplorer #EBcontributor #LiveYourAdventure
The latest issue of @wilderness came out last week; in it is the editorial feature that I am most proud of writing. The feature is my full account of the first documented traverse of the longest contiguous segment of Alberta's Endless Chain Ridge. While on descent after finishing our traverse, @lanleyc and I triggered an avalanche that caused a brush with death closer than either of us were, or possibly would ever be ready for. That mountaineering endeavor and its traumatic aftermath were the most challenging times that I have ever faced; in the article I explore the subjects of survival and companionship through its lens. If you're interested in reading the story, go pick up the latest @wilderness magazine, which features this story, a feature on @ben_moon's film Denali, and more. 📷 (1) Eiger summit, (2) Eiger bivy, (3) Endless Chain Ridge #wilderness #wildernessmakesyoubetter
Since I first ventured into the wilderness, I was awed and inspired by the landscapes that surrounded me: especially giant snow-covered peaks, lush forests, and vibrant waterways. Simply viewing these landscapes though, was never enough for me. I had to satiate my curiosity. It became the relationships between humans and these landscapes that drove me to explore and create. To explore the questions: who am I, and how do I fit into this great wide world. The land - it has always and will always exist in spite of us - but to make sense of the environments in which we dwell, we impart meaning as a means to understand. Historically, that meaning was interpreted as a means to advance society and industry - but many times throughout the course of mankind, the meaning has been corrupted to advance personal gain. I for one, am not wise or knowledgeable enough to say what is right and who is wrong in this constant battle for resources and advancement, but the undeniable truth is that these lands have an incomprehensible meaning to me, and they have given purpose to my life. And I am far from alone. If we all took the time to venture into the wilderness, move through the land, and quiet our minds enough to feel - the value of those experiences would transcend into our day-to-day; little by little, positive impacts would be made (cut out straws, eliminate plastic bags, turn out the lights, ride a bike, plant a tree, drink water, reduce waste, recycle better.) That first step though, is taking a step. Going outside. And listening to how the wild makes you feel. I know I'm preaching to the choir here, but if just one new person would venture out to experience the wonder that I have felt, as a result of this spiel, who knows the ways in which our planet could heal. #foodforthought #newzealand #mountains
As a professional adventure storyteller, hiking - to one end or another - is at the root of almost everything that I do. So, when @eddiebauer reached out to me about participating in their #WhyIHike campaign, I got stoked! For the next thirteen weeks, I'll be sharing the reasons why I hike, and simultaneously, would love to hear yours. To kick things off: Reason #1 I hike to discover new perspectives. Adventure, is about discovering new perspectives in the world, and more importantly, within one's self. By exploring these ideas of perspective, we can better understand where we fit in: our desires, our intentions, and the effect that they have on our environment (in this case, where we dwell, work, and play) and the beings that we share it with. Storytelling, in all forms, is about capturing and sharing perspectives; that shared connection with adventure is why I am so drawn to both - and hiking facilitates that discovery every step of the way. What is one reason why you hike? Let me know in the comments! #EBcontributor #LiveYourAdventure
Five years ago plus a couple of days, I sat on this bluff at 9,800' in Yosemite National Park, about ten miles north of Upper Yosemite Falls, and looked across a valley to the first peaks with snow that I had ever seen up close. This was my first wilderness backpacking trip - and I didn't realize that mountains could have snow in summer until this moment. I turned to @oreyspear and said, "I want to climb that." "That, in that case, was mountains. Snow-covered mountains. He responded that I was crazy. He wasn't wrong, but that didn't stop me. This very moment became the most definitive moment of my life; and my soul became woke. I would never be the same. What was THE moment when an outdoor experience changed your life? Share it in the comments. 📷: @oreyspear #thegreatoutdoors
If there's one universal truth in life that I have learned, it's that we're going to get wet - whether it's ankle-deep, up to the thighs, chest high, or falling from the sky. Learning to accept the wetness is our key to survival, but learning to embrace it is the key to thriving. New Zealand has dealt out doses of this metaphor in spades: both in adventures and in everyday life. It is uncomfortable when clothes and shoes get soggy; it can feel like drowning when the water is overhead, so throw on a shell jacket and learn how to swim. Remember, the sun will come out and we'll dry off eventually. When was a moment that you embraced the wetness, whether on an adventure or in everyday life? 📷 of me by @priya_mareedu #CelebrateDiscomfort #NewZealand
"All that is left are the mountains; their indifference is complete." Those words came to me not from the summit of a peak, but rather a valley (or canyon) of life: a moment when I felt the lowest. Still reeling from my father's suicide; haunted by my own near-death experience; and feeling more isolated than, ever I cried out—shrieking in agony at my own ineptitude for life. Then those words wafted across the darkest depths of my mind—like a saintly siren guiding me back towards the salvation of light. In an instant, a disembodied perspective flashed in my mind, revealing Chris Brinlee, Jr. standing standing alone beneath the most monumental mountains—imprisoned by their sheer enormity, which dwarfed his greatest optimism. They held me captive there, violently and volatility; until I realized that the storm and these insurmountable walls were of my own volition. And so I began to do the one thing that I knew how to: Climb. 📷: @thehilaryann #SearchingForScale #CelebrateDiscomfort
When I decided to move to New Zealand, and actually "settle down" for the first time in my adventure career, part of me expected that every day would be like "Lord of the Rings" - after all, @priya_mareedu and I live only one valley away from Eisengard. The reality of living in one place though, as amazing as it is, is a lot of routine. These cyclical familiarities are mostly self-induced: in the past, I used my hectic travel schedule as an excuse to do everything off-the-couch. One objective would build my base for the next. It worked, and in a few short years I ticked off some dream objectives in the mountains, but my body (and mind) rarely received the recovery that they needed; inevitably, I suffered: mentally, athletically, and professionally. As a product of past cumulative experiences, I have come to realize that my adventure aspirations have grown beyond where I can safely reach them from the comfort of my metaphorical couch; so for the first time in my adventure career, I have begun to train like an athlete: an @uphill_athlete, specifically. Mountaineering endurance is based off an aerobic base; the process of building that base is pretty mundane: for three months I have been I running for an hour and a half around #LakeWanaka, a few times a week, keeping my heart rate below 154. My heart craves for multiple big, long days in the mountains, but I don't allow myself to deviate. So I keep on running, watch what I eat, and live for the weekends when I get five hours of continuous bliss followed by lots of sleep. It's tough sticking to the plan when the mountains behind me beg for attention, but I'll get my fix eventually; when I finally do, I'll be stronger than ever and will take on tougher objectives than I ever have before. When was a time in life that you stuck to the plan to reach long-term goals and maximized gratification? 📷: @priya_mareedu #trainingforthenewalpinism #newzealand #routine
Social media and Instagram in particular can be so incredibly polarizing. On one side, there is a zombie-scrolling timesucker that can lead to FOMO and self-doubt. That's a dark tunnel which leads towards an abyss - you know it; I know it; we've all experienced it in one form or another. On the other side, however, there is an opportunity to share real, meaningful stories and the ability to create profound connections. I met some of my best friends through social media; my life partner through Instagram. People like @briannamadia, @brandoyelavichexplorer, @donnie_vincent, and @melissa_hartwig MOVE with their rawness, vulnerability, and honesty. The world doesn't need more pretty pictures, it needs more of that. Many times when I'm silent, it's because I feel down, isolated, and totally uninspired - so out of my element. It's easy to lament the situation and writhe in self-torment, but in those moments of vulnerability; when I finally work up the courage to share, I am so humbled by the community that I have found here. Your support means the world; and it always has a way of making a dark day brighter. Thanks for that. Here's my promise to you: I'll always share something of value; I'll cut to the truth - the world's got enough bullshit in it already, without me adding filler. I promise to speak my mind; today I renew my vow to talk about all aspects of life, not just the ones that shine. Adventure will be the spark that ignites what this world needs: more real dialog; more hard conversions; more cuts to the chase. Are you with me, amigos? 📷: @priya_mareedu #realtalk