2011 Girly Guides: Jen Olson, Angela Hawse, Kitty Calhoun, Danika Gilbert, Margo Talbot, Kim Reynolds, Suz Detweiler, Dawn Glanc. Photo Credit: Shauna Tewksbury
February Newsletter:
• Chicks with Picks ends her 12th season
• What’s Next….Chicks Rock in the desert!
• A Time of Transition…the Head Chick heads out in the backyard
• Free Sample Life Coach Session
Jill, the office Chick, at the top of her first ice climb!
“I did it! No one can ever take that away from me!” Jill Huesgen
The Quickie
In early February, we ended our twelfth year at Chicks with Picks with The Quickie, our last clinic of the season. This clinic happens fast and is a great way to give women who aren’t quite sure about this sport a chance to sample the ice.
The first day it snowed and blew hard but the women persevered and were on the ice ALL day learning how to climb. Do you remember that cold snap that came through? It was the second day of the Quickie and the hearty Chicks just carried on with spirit and enthusiasm climbing until it was closing time.
For me, a highlight of the clinic was having our “Office Chick”, Jill Huesgen, attend the Quickie and ice climb for the first time. Jill told me that she was a little nervous about ice climbing – she wondered if she would get to the top and stay warm in the process. Sound familiar? We’ve all had these thoughts cross our mind haven’t we! It was a thrill to witness Jill get to the top of the her first climb – now she can fully empathize with what women anticipate before Chicks AND what they take away with them!
Maija showing some style on the Five Fingers
Chick Sighting
Jill isn’t the only Chicks staff to get on the ice this winter. Our Social Media Chick, Maija Burkert (who is Kicking Axe with the Chicks Gossip Column), also attended the Sampler and the Complete. It was fun to see how much Maija improved this year and by the end, she was climbing water ice five with a huge smile on her face. She also ventured into the backcountry to climb Stairway to Heaven and Skylight. On her day off from climbing, she tried some backcountry skiing on Red Mt pass. I think she was sad to leave and return to Savannah Georgia, but word has it, she was happy to see her cats.
What’s next?
Chicks Rock at Red Rocks! March 31 – April 3
Red Rocks in the spring is a great place to thaw out after the long winter and get psyched for summer! Our intensive climbing clinic allows you to focus on improving your climbing skills in a fun, safe, (warm) and supportive environment. Red Rocks is a well-known desert climbing destination that has a little bit of everything – splitter cracks, incut jugs, and technical faces. Climbers of all levels are welcome to attend, with five different clinic levels to choose from. There is an addition optional multi-pitch day that will give you the opportunity to climb some long routes on the beautiful red desert sandstone in a 2-to-1 ratio with our Girly Guides. This program is presented through the American Alpine Institute, and will be headed by Kitty Calhoun and Dawn Glanc.
Read how Chicks Rock! spring Red Rocks clinic was reviewed by some of our participants! Check out Beth’s testimony from 2010 here, and Maria’s here. Both women credited the clinic with helping them have a break through on rock! Are you ready to take your climbing to the next level?
If our spring clinics don’t work with your schedule, Chicks has more clinics in the summer and fall too!!
Devil’s Lake Wisconsin
Women’s Intensive Clinic, July 29 – Aug. 1
Girly Gatherings
Keene Valley, Adirondacks New York, Aug. 19-21
The New River Gorge, West Virginia, Sept. 23-25
Tank tops, sunscreen and great views at Red Rocks! Photo credit: Beth Elliot
Time of Transition – The Head Chick gets Out!
It’s a lot of work pulling of four women’s ice climbing clinics, fitting in a trip to the Outdoor Retailer show and then tucking Chicks with Picks away for the season. It takes about two months of non-stop planning, organizing and attention to execute this Chicks show and frankly, waaayyy too much time on the computer. My winter starts now when I get to venture into the San Juan Mountains, where I live, to do some personal ice climbing and back country skiing.
I have to admit that after being in that icy dark canyon all of January, I love to poke my head out and head towards the sun. There is nothing more joyful to me than skinning up a mountain on skis, gazing at the view, giggling with friends and skiing untracked powder! I’ve been getting my ski legs back on and enjoying some stellar days in my own back yard. Ahhh!
A day in the life of the Head Chick on Battleship Mountain. Photo credit: Danika Gilbert
Free Life Coaching Sample Sessions
Something I enjoy as much as running women’s climbing clinics is my Life Coaching practice. I see this dynamic and creative process that I will pursue for the rest of my life.
Life Coaching comes in handy when you want to:
• jumpstart a new phase of your life
• stop the negative self talk
• get unstuck from the patterns that are hard to break
• know the truth about who you really are
• explore what’s next
• break old patterns that don’t serve you anymore
• stop telling yourself you “can’t” do something
• live your life to full capacity and not settle anymore
• choose to be in control of your life
• be creative and push the envelope of what you think is possible
• have someone hold you accountable for what you really really want
If you are curious about the process and want to learn more. Do it!
To sign up for a free sample session: email kim@mindovermountains.com or call 970-626-4424
Here on the Chicks Climbing Gossip Report you can catch up on all of the great gossip (articles, videos, and other assorted cool stuff) we talked about over the past week at Chicks Climbing! We had a fun week launching our 
We have officially launched our new women’s rock climbing program appropriately named Chicks Rock!
The latest buzz