Chicks Climbing» Read the Gossip

Ice season is in full swing!

mburkert — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 16:30:20 +0000

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 are looking forward to our 2012 “Complete” chicks showing up on Wednesday – they’ll have four days of ice climbing (including a skills day) in the ice park this weekend. Speaking of which, this Chickadee writing the Gossip Report is going to be among that group of kickass Chicks so it may be a bit quiet here for the next week or two as I have a period of time to climb everything I can out in the Ouray area! The Chicks this weekend will be getting a real treat on Saturday, Jan. 28 as we have our second slideshow and auction fundraiser of the season. This one is for the Ouray Ice Park and will feature local girls Kim Grant and Annie Quathmar’s presentation of “Intrepid in India.” If you’re in the area please stop by – $5 at the door and TONS of deals on some amazing gear with all proceeds from the auction benefitting our awesome ice park! Full details here.

If you’re STILL thinking of coming out to climb with Chicks this year, just do it – we’d love to have you! There’s just a little bit of time left for you to sign up for “The Quickie” – check out all the details here.

Speaking of climbing with Chicks, we received a beautiful testimony from Jess – who’s been out to three Chicks clinics (both Chicks Rock! and Chicks with Picks) and she gave us an honest and heartfelt look into how Chicks has transformed her as a climber. If you haven’t read this lovely piece yet, you can check it out here.

Yesterday our January newsletter came out – did you see it? If not, check it out here and get caught up on all things Chicks!

We were a guest contributor to a fantastic project called 31 Days of Adventure, and our prompt came out this weekend! If you haven’t joined in the fun yet we highly suggest you start ASAP You can check out what WE at Chicks suggested for an adventure here.

Did we miss any cool stuff this week? Let us know if you’ve got a link to some climbing-related goodies so we can share with everyone else!

P.S. We are just wondering – do you hang out on Google+ ??? We do! Find us here so we can get you in our circle and stay up-to-date on another platform with all the latest and greatest from Chicks.

We loved this quote found on Twitter last week from Laurel, aka @mtsquirrel who wisely said “One thing about ice climbing, if it’s a good spot to belay from it usually seems to be a bad spot to take pictures.”

Climbing
- What was ice climbing like before specialized gear? This vid gives a good sense of it: http://vimeo.com/35167823
- You’ve probably never seen ice climbing like this: http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.328090103881019.76740.119440211412677&type=3
- Sasha DiGiulian wraps up her trip to Hueco bouldering hard for a great start to 2012: http://ht.ly/8wkui
- Kruk and Kennedy Free the Compressor Route on Cerro Torre… http://www.supertopo.com/climbers-forum/1722872/Kruk-and-Kennedy-Free-the-Compressor-Route-on-Cerro-Torre
- More details from the Kennedy Kruk climb on Cerro Torre: http://bit.ly/wNXbWE
- Get psyched to climb! http://bit.ly/yFeZoL ”We’d all just be doing this anyway.”

News
- Climber Jack Roberts dies after ice climbing fall http://climbing.about.com/b/2012/01/17/climber-jack-roberts-dies-after-ice-climbing-fall-in-colorado.htm
- Very sad news out of Patagonia, Canadian climber Carlyle Norman killed: http://ht.ly/8xJSK
- Bolt failure in Australia: http://ht.ly/8xLvN
- More on Canadian skier Sarah Burke who passed away this week. This video is necessary viewing: http://ht.ly/8AG4n

Training & Nutrition
- Great rehab advice for climbers with tweaked elbows or ankles from Steph Davis (@highsteph): http://ht.ly/8ycHR
- Dealing with forced rest periods in climbing: http://climbstrong.wordpress.com/2012/01/13/qa-forced-rest-periods/

Gear
- Shelby’s put a lot of time in with the Black Diamond (@BlackDiamondUSA) Epic 45 pack and shares her positive review: http://ht.ly/8ArUY

Trip Reports
- Photos from Teri’s first ice climbing trip at Lee Vining Canyon with AAI: http://www.flickr.com/photos/62362992@N02/sets/72157628914917477/

Inspiration
- Love, love, love this post from Brendan (@semi_rad) on how staying young is the new growing old: http://ht.ly/8zbIx
- Beautiful Yosemite time lapse video – inspiration for climbing! http://is.gd/XpAoAz

Fun Stuff
- Mouse’s chocolate ice climbers! http://yfrog.com/odhhcxmvj

If you have a blog entry that you think would be of interest to the women of Chicks Climbing please let us know! We love getting contributed content from other women – anything from trip reports, nutrition and training tips, to videos. We want to share your resources with the community – much like we do with the Gossip Report and are more than happy to re-publish and share links on behalf of the women’s climbing community!

This week’s Gossip Report is brought to you by our sponsors at Columbia Sportswear! Thank you, Columbia for your support of our programs!

Ice climbing, slideshows, gossip – oh my!

mburkert — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 16:16:06 +0000

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 just said goodbye last night to our 2012 Chicks with Picks “Sampler” Chicks who had a GREAT time climbing with us in Ouray this past weekend. We still have THREE more clinics coming up this year with space available! So, if you are interested in coming please let us know ASAP!

We had a couple of wonderful guest posts on the blog last week, one from one of our Sampler Chicks (and alumna) Almine Barton who wrote an in-depth article on how to treat acute injuries so you can get back to play or training right away. If you missed this wonderful resource, check it out here – it’s a MUST read!

We also had a post from Lauren, the Climbing Chef, who is back in action after a long rest period to recover from injury. She’s back in the climbing game and tells us all about her “resurrection” along with a yummy recipe for some great climbing snacks – “Goo Balls” check it all out here.

We also got some great feedback from some of our “Caption that Photo!” contest winners! Helen sent us a photo and wrote: “Love my new marmot backpack! Perfect for all my gear!” http://pic.twitter.com/NuX4fD0s While Paul-Baptiste also sent us a note saying “A big thank you to Chicks Climbing! Something oddly satisfying packing my laptop and such in my new Marmot Zelus 25 pack!!” We are so happy your packs arrived and are already being put to good use. Thanks again to our wonderful sponsors at Marmot for making it possible!

Did we miss any cool stuff this week? Let us know if you’ve got a link to some climbing-related goodies so we can share with everyone else!

P.S. We are just wondering – do you hang out on Google+ ??? We do! Find us here so we can get you in our circle and stay up-to-date on another platform with all the latest and greatest from Chicks.

Climbing
- “If you’re going to be a climber, why not experience it all?” – 2012 Ouray Ice Fest female winner Emily Harrington on learning to ice climb: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9JJRIpsUxhk
- Ouray Ice Festival champ Emily Harrington on her experience & encouraging more women to try mixed climbing: http://ht.ly/8pUTJ
- Lovely blog from Jen Olson on her Ouray Ice Fest performance & how “popping off” a route can happen to anyone: http://ht.ly/8r00h
- Dawn Glanc writes about a scary big dagger she broke off while climbing that barely missed hitting her belayer: http://ht.ly/8rvMn
- Sarah Hueniken & Jen Olson climb together despite mixed agendas & end up having a great day: http://ht.ly/8uS9q
- Alex Puccio looking as graceful as ever on Alphacentaury (8A). http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UHNwu1ISWjg
- Check out this sweet climbing video featuring Libbi Gilson on ‘A Face in the Crowd’ V7 http://themorningfresh.com/2012/01/08/check-out-this-sweet-jill-sompel-climbing-video-featuring-my-good-friend-libbi-gilson/
- Some great climbing and training learned by Andrew (@EveningSends) who shares tips after he took a climbing lesson with Justen Sjong: http://ht.ly/8r0wn
- The Art of Early Season Ice Climbing: http://tinyurl.com/7d99m8w
- Jen Vennon checks in on the Five Ten website http://ht.ly/8omM7
- This week’s Rock & Ice (@Rockandice) TNB recaps the Ouray Ice Festival comp & winning climb by “underdog” Nate Kutcher: http://ht.ly/8oOPj
- Hey, it’s our web designer Jason Nelson talking about (and climbing) the Ouray Ice Fest comp route! http://ht.ly/8r2oo
- Sam Elias on the M11 Red Bull & Vodka is soooo impressive! http://vimeo.com/34937249
- The “Tricks in the Alpine” series AAI (@AlpineInstitute) has been doing is really good. The latest – episode 4: http://ht.ly/8oHvS
- Good (and very important) stuff from AAI (@AlpineInstitute) Pre-Equalized Anchors: http://ht.ly/8oHjb
- 9-year-old Brooke Raboutou has energy for DAYS and is a pretty impressive climber to boot! http://ht.ly/8pS28
- Katie Parker climbs the very cool looking ‘beak’ in Arkansas: http://ht.ly/8sq4I
- Sasha Digiulian wraps up her trip to Hueco bouldering hard for a great start to 2012: http://ht.ly/8wkui
- The climbing hit list was a huge success for Erica (@cragmama) in 2011 so naturally she’s got another one lined up for 2012: http://bit.ly/Aliq0H
- Hey look it’s Girly Guide Jen Olson in this video on the Ouray Ice Fest by Outside Magazine http://ht.ly/8pWWu
- Splitter Choss’ (@splitterchoss) Friday Five – Training Day http://www.splitterchoss.com/2012/01/13/friday-five-training-day/
- Great list from Katie Levy (@k8tlevy) on the 6 reasons YOU should give ice climbing a try this year: http://ht.ly/8uSiz

News
- Wow, very cool LIVE YOUR DREAM grant opportunity from the AAC @AmericanAlpine for climbers in the Northeast: http://ht.ly/8ouoX
- Hey (Canadian) ladies! The Alpine Club of Canada is seeking grant applications for the Jen Higgins Fund until the end of the month: http://www.alpineclubofcanada.ca/grants/higgins.html
- This week’s climbing and outdoor news courtesy of AAI (@alpineinstitute) http://tinyurl.com/6m3s225

Training & Nutrition
- Stephen Brooks (@scorpiobrookes) is doing research on climbing injuries & needs some women to participate – please help him: ht.ly/8nl8p
- Good read on how to strengthen your legs to improve your climbing: http://ht.ly/8ol4G
- Training for an upcoming trip to Spain – see how Alli Rainey @allirainey is doing it this winter to be ready: http://ht.ly/8osFD
- Refuel with a smoothie – new recipe from Paul-Baptiste (@paukku) on Zegedines & Bellytimber: Purple Smoothie (bananas, blueberries & pomegranates) http://zegedinesandbellytimber.blogspot.com/2012/01/purple-smoothie.html

Gear
- The Petzl (@Petzl) Lynx crampon gets two thumbs up in this review from Climberism Magazine (@climberism) http://ht.ly/8wjRr
- I can think of several Chicks that would not agree with this review! The Gnar Down Skirt review from the AC crew: http://is.gd/qiEK25
- Gif of @rockclimberlife: writes a review of the CU Belay Glasses bit.ly/xAze3i
- Katie of Adventure Inspired (@AdvInspired) reviews the Mountain Hardwear Butter Hooded Topper in a bright color: http://www.adventure-inspired.com/2012/01/gear-review-bright-soft-and-cozy.html

Trip Reports
- Gina (@ginabegin) hit the road for the Ouray Ice Fest to rock out some ice climbing: http://ht.ly/8n3Jk
- Writing a guide book requires lots of climbing – see what routes Erica (@cragmama) was sending while gathering beta at Stone Mountain: http://ht.ly/8otju

Inspiration
- New Post at Tali’s Cupcake Mafia: Leaping Cupcake! http://ht.ly/8nc70 Come share your story!
- Wow, Steph Davis (@highsteph) has been busy doing lots of tower base climbing to make a film called “The Perfect Circle” http://ht.ly/8pEDx how cool does this look?!!?

Fun Stuff
- Heh. Spotted at the gym: the dreaded “Floor Flounder” — http://www.climbingterms.com/post/15570223557/floor-flounder#disqus_thread
- A warning from Brendan of (@semi_rad) to beware of the urine-drinking mountain goats: ht.ly/8rcza
- New from the Head Geargal: Why Traveling Alone Is Rad: http://geargals.com/2012/01/12/why-traveling-alone-is-rad/
- Send it kitteh!!! Even teh climbing internets are made of cats (Thanks, AAC!). http://imgur.com/Jug16

This week’s Gossip Report is brought to you by our sponsors at Columbia Sportswear! Thank you, Columbia for your support of our programs!

New year = tons of climbing news!

mburkert — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 15:53:14 +0000

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 are getting SO CLOSE to our 2012 Chicks with Picks clinics, our “Sampler” Chicks will be climbing in Ouray this weekend and we can’t wait! Are you still thinking about coming out to join us this year on the ice? Let us know, there is still room in our clinics if you hurry!

There were almost more Chicks sightings then could possibly be reported in the last week as many lovers of ice descended on Ouray for the Ouray Ice Fest. Check out this Chick sighting from South Park! If you’ve got a Chicks sighting, please let us know! You can send it to us by posting it on Facebook, hitting us up on Twitter, or by a good old fashioned e-mail to info[at]chickswithpicks.net!

We posted a guest blog last week from Lisa, who is in her second year of ice climbing and was out at the Bozeman Ice Festival last month in Kitty Calhoun’s clinic. Read all about her experience climbing in Hyalite and see why THIS ice fest may be on your hit list later this year!

All of the other articles we linked to this past week through either the Chicks Climbing Twitter account, or on the Chicks Climbing Facebook fan page (and some on both!). We provide this wrap-up because we come across a TON of great resources each week, but understand that not everyone is online all the time, or even on both (or either) of these social media platforms. So you can check here each and every week for the latest and greatest in Chicks Climbing resources.

However, we know WE may have also missed some cool stuff this week, so if there is something of interest we missed that you came across this week please, let us know so we can share with everyone else!

Before we get to it, we want to know – do you hang out on Google+ ??? So do we! Find us here so we can get you in our circle and stay up-to-date on another platform with all the latest and greatest from Chicks.

Climbing
- A FANTASTIC opportunity for aspiring young alpine climbers that Steve House has initiated: http://ht.ly/8gHT4 & http://ht.ly/8gHWQ
- Page for the second annual Yosemite climbing Tweetup is live! Check it out & add your info so we can pick a date! http://ht.ly/8kSx5
- Video of Alex Puccio on Jacks Broken Heart V12 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tf4fQm_goMI&feature=share
- Even though she climbs 5.13, a V7 proved to be quite a project for Heather Robinson who reports in from Hueco: http://ht.ly/8haw3
- Wow, some seriously amazing strength in these bouldering videos: http://bit.ly/vOzCsK
- MINUS (-) 11 degrees? No problem for Shelby, who was ice climbing up in Alaska this past weekend: http://ht.ly/8gKaD
- Graceful climbing is what Alizee Dufraisse demonstrates as she sends the 5.14c Patinoso in Spain: http://ht.ly/8kpcF
- Don’t speak Portuguese? Don’t worry, you can still appreciate Francine Borges climbing the 8c Festa di Ciranca - http://vimeo.com/34366583
- Have you been reading the newest climbing blog? http://is.gd/K7lyzp (Warning, contains NSFW language!)
- Cool interview of amazing alpinist Ueli Steck: http://www.irunfar.com/2012/01/an-interview-with-speed-alpinist-ueli-steck.html
- What is your opinion on crag dogs? http://ht.ly/8hajP
- So Splitter Choss (@splitterchoss) has posed an interesting question here: The Great Gym Dilemma http://ht.ly/8gYCG
- Nice post from Katie Levy (@k8tlevy) on her constantly evolving relationship with climbing: http://ht.ly/8j89i
- Another great post from Erica (@Cragmama) as she lays out her top 5 personal & spectator climbing highlights from 2011: http://ht.ly/8hXkg
- Alli Rainey (@allirainey) takes advantage of the unusually warm WY Jan. by going climbing, of course! http://ht.ly/8kGch
- Climb long enough & you’ll drop something! New blog from Brendan (@semi_rad): Excuse Me, You Dropped Something Several Hundred Feet: http://ht.ly/8jiYM
- Some good advice from Steph Davis (@highsteph) on partners & belaying at the climbing gym: http://ht.ly/8kpYg
- Majka Burhardt (@majkaburhardt) is going to be at the Mt. Washington Valley Ice Fest Feb. 3-5 teaching a women’s mixed climbing clinic: http://icefest.blogspot.com/2012/01/guest-guide-majka-burhardt-is-in.html
- Wonderful CNN follow up to that Citibank commercial with Katie Brown and Alex Honnold. http://www.cnn.com/video/?/video/us/2012/01/05/pkg-moos-rock-climb-rocks.cnn

News
- Angela Hawse rocks – so much so that the AMGA gave her the Guide of the Year award. She’s the first woman to ever get the award! http://ht.ly/8koqo
- Cool new alpine pod shelter just put in on Mont Blanc Range’s Freboudze glacier http://ht.ly/8gKQ7
- Some big climbs going down in Patagonia – ‘tis the season! http://ht.ly/8iagF
- Applications open for the Copp-Dash Inspire Award via The Jonny Copp Foundation http://fb.me/13Mo9RfdT
- This week’s climbing and outdoor news from AAI (@AlpineInstitute): http://ht.ly/8jAeJ

Training & Nutrition
- Training to improve climbing can turn into much more than that – a reflection by Elizabeth (@eliz_rocks): http://ht.ly/8mRcc

Gear
- Wonderfully detailed post on tool sharpening by Andy Turner: http://ht.ly/8ic6F
- Prep your tools with these sharpening tips from Margo Talbot: http://ow.ly/8jvsU
- Yet ANOTHER rave review for the Columbia Sportswear (@Columbia1938) mid-weight striped base layer http://ht.ly/8gYIW
- Have you ever tried this trick that Jill (@Geargals) has been using to keep your feet warm? http://ht.ly/8hWHn
- More kudos to Columbia Sportswear for the Triple Trail Shell: http://www.talesofamountainmama.com/2012/01/columbia-omni-heat-womens-triple-trail.html

Trip Reports
- Trip report from Amy (@TheGearcaster) of her weekend at the Ouray Ice Fest climbing steep ice & learning to lead: http://ht.ly/8mRXG
- Adventure isn’t always about the summit! http://ht.ly/8kFlf

Inspiration
- Lovely blog from Teresa (@snarkybumbler) on 11 lessons from ’11: http://ht.ly/8gG0Y
- Another wonderful column from Jenn Fields (@jennfields) on “Goal, interrupted” http://ht.ly/8gROw
- Warning – this may inspire some serious WANDERLUST: http://viewfromthetent.tumblr.com

Fun Stuff
- So Steph Davis (@highsteph) tried something new – gaining altitude in a hot air balloon for a wing-suit jump back down: http://ht.ly/8gBXX – just awesome!
- Some people climb down frozen waterfalls and some people SNOWBOARD down them!! http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10150541729975795&set=a.62503480794.99690.609010794&type=1&theater
- Bass For Your Face has a fantastic 2011 climbing recap video. Year of Fail: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D0JDHAKEjLU&feature=youtu.be

This week’s Gossip Report is brought to you by our sponsors at Columbia Sportswear! Thank you, Columbia for your support of our programs!

Happy New Year from Chicks!

mburkert — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 14:21:23 +0000

Happy New Year from all of us at Chicks! We hope that 2012 will be a great year for you all!

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 are getting SO CLOSE to our 2012 Chicks with Picks clinics, we have just over a week before our “Sampler” Chicks come on out! We’re stocking the goody bags with lots of fun treats, including some sweet ProBars we just got in the mail last week. Yum! Are you still thinking about coming out to join us this year on the ice? Let us know, there is still room in our clinics! And for those who have been asking, the Head Chick will be out and about at the Ouray Ice Fest, so keep an eye out for her!

Last week we announced the winners in our “Caption that Photo!” contest with prizes from our sponsors at Marmot. It was VERY hard to pick the winning captions and let me just say there was a lot of sore ab muscles from all of the laughing. But in the end three winners were selected, and are anxiously awaiting their Marmot Zelus 25 pack prize to arrive at the door. Check out the winning captions along with the closest runners-up in our blog post here.

As many of our alumnae headed to the park for their winter break, or as they arrive this week ahead of the Ouray Ice Fest, we’ve been getting reports of some Chick sightings! Here’s one from the Head Chick! And here’s another from Amy Jurries who did her first rock climbing lead in Ouray with Chicks graduate Cheryl Wallace (pictured) and Kate Higgins (congratulations, Amy!). If you are out in Ouray (or maybe halfway across the world) and spot a fellow alumna please send us a picture! We love sharing these

Do you hang out on Google+ ??? So do we! Find us here so we can get you in our circle and stay up-to-date on another platform with all the latest and greatest from Chicks.

Quote of the week from ice climber Will Gadd who said on Twitter: “Ran ice laps in Marble, yes, again, but super fun. Every year I suck at ice climbing until I spend a full day on toprope, just moving.” [Have you ever felt that way?!?!]

Climbing
- Feature of Black Diamond (@BlackDiamondUSA) employees’ favorite routes: Andreas Schmidt on Tippin’ the Bottle (5.11): http://ht.ly/8eHSU
- Good goal setting advice from Alli Rainey (@allirainey): Climbing training tip #3: Write out your 2012 climbing goals http://fb.me/DVP0UOv3
- This is seriously impressive! Check out how many of her goals Erica (@Cragmama) achieved in 2011 after laying ‘em out there for the world to see: http://bit.ly/shsgLa
- Our friend Whitney (@Whitneyio) just tried ice climbing for the first time at Hoosier Pass; see how it went & what she learned: http://bradleysadventures.wordpress.com/2012/01/02/ice-climbing/
- Tips from AAI (@AlpineInstitute) on how to properly put an ice axe on a pack: ht.ly/8btRg
- Some cool testing from DMM (@dmmclimbing) on improvising to avoid cross loading a carabiner over an edge; lark’s foot or basket hitch? Our results: http://ht.ly/8eIme
- Carabiner orientation tips from Gif at Rock Climber Life (@rockclimberlife): http://ht.ly/8d39G
- Johnny Dawes one-hand and no-hand bouldering. http://youtu.be/03Cow7sn5w4
- Classic video of Steph Davis (@highsteph) freeing the Salathe: http://ht.ly/8d41a
- Classic badassery on The Nose (via the AAC): http://i.imgur.com/KyCnz.jpg

News
- Retreat of Glaciers Makes Some Climbs Tougher: http://ht.ly/8cnQa
- Another great roundup of the past week’s climbing and outdoor news from AAI (@AlpineInstitute): ht.ly/8diFf

Gear
- The Columbia Sportswear (@Columbia1938) Reach the Peak hybrid down jacket got a RAVE review from Irene at Geargals (@geargals): http://ht.ly/8d2fO

Trip Reports
- This is a sweet look back at 2011 from Lizzy & Luke at Dreaming in Vertical (@dreaminvertical): http://bit.ly/sLkJhA

Inspiration
- Really like this post from Splitter Choss (@splitterchoss) as he reflects on his time climbing in 2011 – “The Journey is the Destination”: http://ht.ly/8cdlo
- More good New Year blog posts – this one from Katie Levy (@k8tlevy) titled: 2012 Phrases of Action: How I’m to Make the New Year Rock and Redefining SMART Goals http://www.adventure-inspired.com/2011/12/2012-phrases-of-action-how-im-to-make.html

Holiday Fun Stuff
- It’s no secret we are Semi-Rad (@semi_rad) fans, and here’s another great one: Make 2012 The Year Of Maximum Enthusiasm: http://ht.ly/8d7ML

This week’s Gossip Report is brought to you by our sponsors at Columbia Sportswear!Thank you, Columbia for your support of our programs!

Contest, savings & a quick catch up on gossip!

mburkert — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 16:11:06 +0000

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. Have you heard about the Chicks HOLIDAY SPECIALS on all of our 2012 Chicks with Picks clinics yet?!?!?! If you want to come out and join us in Ouray in 2012 then find out how to save big by signing up in December! Check out all the details here and hurry, there are just a few DAYS left to take advantage of these special offers!

This week we will be wrapping up our “Caption that Photo!” contest and awarding three entrants with some Zelus 25 packs from our sponsors at Marmot. Here are the complete instructions for how to enter, and here are the links for the photos we are looking for you to caption in order to win!
- Photo No. 1
- Photo No. 2
- Photo No. 3

You can leave as many “entries” aka captions as you’d like! So get creative and have fun! It’s going to really be tough to pick the winners

Last week we posted a new blog from the Head Chick on conscious communication – a perfect read for the holiday season when many are spending time with friends and family they don’t see on a regular basis. There are lots of great tips here, so check it out!

Do you hang out on Google+ ??? So do we! Find us here so we can get you in our circle and stay up-to-date on another platform with all the latest and greatest from Chicks.

Climbing
- More details from the Alpinist of the Russian/Ukranian all-women trio that put up a new route on Great Trango: http://ht.ly/8anUj
- Raphael Slawinski & two partners put up a new route on the Upper Weeping Wall: http://ht.ly/84nVh
- 2012 Ice Climbing Season Tips & Info from PETZL http://ht.ly/889or
- A report from Black Diamond (@blackdiamondusa) athlete Alex Honnold on Poland’s indoor climbing scene: http://bit.ly/rCXQDi
- New photo on Super Topo (@supertopo) from the rare ice climbing this season in Tuolumne Meadows http://ht.ly/87HlN
- Nice little Q&A with Chicks Girly Guide Emilie Drinkwater: http://ht.ly/8b8sU
- Wow, after her self-imposed 4 week rest period, Erica (@cragmama) goes out and redpoints her first 5.12a! http://ht.ly/8ao68
- Boulder kids boulder like crazy in Hueco: http://ht.ly/86uqA
- Great post on Adventure Inspired (@advinspired) about the organizations that strengthen & support the climbing community: http://ht.ly/87OXf

News
- An excellent roundup of this week’s climbing, skiing and outdoor news from AAI (@AlpineInstitute) http://ht.ly/889EU
- Wow, 15-year-old Jordan Romero has officially conquered the 7 Summits with a Christmas Eve ascent of Vinson: http://ht.ly/8b8Ju

Gear
- From the Black Diamond QC labs – do ropes need to rest between falls? http://bit.ly/s8i4Dr
- The Fox River Socks (@foxriversox) arrived for our CWP ladies! Did you know they are made in Iowa (& inspired the original sock monkey)? http://ht.ly/84ttw
- Why do Ropes Cost so Much? http://rockandice.com/news/1744-gear-guy-why-do-ropes-cost-so-much

Training & Nutrition
- Some strength training exercises specific to rock climbing: http://ht.ly/85jwC - do you strength train?
- Ever found yourself in a “forced rest” period? Jenn Fields (@jennfields) knows all about it: http://ht.ly/84nYF

Inspiration
- Great recap by Amy of @expandoutdoors of her 364 day adVANture up at the Prana blog: http://ht.ly/84awD
- No Matter the Weather, Getting Active Outside is Always Worth It: http://ht.ly/84aKj

Trip Reports
- Really love this post from Caroline George as a (hoped for) epic trip turns out not to be so much: http://ht.ly/84abZ

Holiday Fun Stuff
- Brendan of @semi_rad goes out on a very special Christmas climb: ow.ly/87Q8W
- Rock & Ice (@rockandice) TNB: And on this most merry Spraymas, my partner gave to me… fb.me/1le8VtXdK
- Santa Claus Climbing Fail (Merry Christmas!) http://ht.ly/86Lt4
- This girl is on fire! Sasha DiGiulian (@sashadigiulian) makes her third magazine cover in December! http://fb.me/xkqGyHHc

This week’s Gossip Report is brought to you by our sponsors at Columbia Sportswear!

Friends, family & a little holiday gossip!

mburkert — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 16:46:59 +0000

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. Have you heard about the Chicks HOLIDAY SPECIALS on all of our 2012 Chicks with Picks clinics yet?!?!?! If you want to come out and join us in Ouray in 2012 then find out how to save big by signing up in December! Check out all the details here and hurry, there are just a couple of weeks left to take advantage of these special offers!

Last week we kicked off our “Caption that Photo!” contest with three prizes to give away from our sponsors at Marmot. Here are the complete instructions for how to enter, and here are the links for the photos we are looking for you to caption in order to win a Zelus 25 pack from Marmot!
- Photo No. 1
- Photo No. 2
- Photo No. 3
You can leave as many “entries” aka captions as you’d like! So get creative and have fun! It’s going to really be tough to pick the winners

Last week we had a MAJOR Chicks sighting at the Bozeman Ice Fest – check out this picture in which there were FOURTEEN Chicks alone! If you have a Chicks sighting this winter (and I expect there will be a LOT!) please send it in to us!

Last week at Chicks we also posted a new blog from Lauren, the Climbing Chef, for some out of this world delicious homemade peppermint marshmallows. Check it out here!

Do you hang out on Google+ ??? So do we! Find us here so we can get you in our circle and stay up-to-date on another platform with all the latest and greatest from Chicks.

Climbing
- Three kickass women climb the Great Trango Tower NW Wall: http://russianclimb.com/trango_girls.html
- Awesome list of the Rock and Ice (@Rockandice) Top 10 Ascents of 2011: http://ht.ly/80Yiz
- Steph Davis advises on tiny cams and whippers: http://ht.ly/7Zq9c
- Some burly climbing on this new “Man Yoga” route in the Canadian Rockies: http://ht.ly/80wlP …methinks Jen Olson would LOVE to send it!
- Some cool Chicks bouldering on the 2nd half of this video from @verticalgirl: http://ht.ly/7Y02X
- Here are some Chicks we will be following – Las Escalitas who are getting ready to climb in Ecuador http://ht.ly/80PBk
- Sweet route report of Cody, WY’s WI5 “Broken Hearts” from Black Diamond employee Chris Thomas: http://ht.ly/80OC4
- How sweet does this Yosemite ice climbing look? http://ht.ly/83WlD
- This kid is AMAZING! Video of 10 year old Tito Traversa climbing “criptonite”, (8a=5.13d)! http://ht.ly/7ZevU
- Willingness to fail, desire to learn from mistakes, improve weaknesses, stay positive & be persistent http://ht.ly/7Y0Gh
- Our thoughts go out to Bonnie Prudden, a Gunks Legend. http://fb.me/1yt9OSy1M
- Looking for a gift? How about giving the Gift of Membership to The AAC to your favorite climber? http://ht.ly/7YsMr
- Harvard Cabin: Sheltering Climbers for 80 Years: http://www.climberism.com/harvard-cabin-sheltering-climbers-for-80-years/
- Sasha DiGiulian makes the cover of Rock & Snow: http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=1399776&l=89dd5db240&id=220938741250230

News
- Another great recap of this week’s climb and outdoor news from AAI (@AlpineInstitute): http://ht.ly/80Obs
- Russian team to try first-ever winter climb of K2: http://ht.ly/83VTO

Gear
- New Review at Cupcake Mafia (@cupcakemafia): Timberland’s Canard Pull-On Boot! http://ht.ly/7WSIX
- Gif of @rockclimberlife reviews & gives training suggestions for Metolius Rock Rings: http://ht.ly/7WTie
- Luke from @DreamInVertical reviews some haul bags & shows how they aren’t just for multi-day big wall climbing: http://ht.ly/7ZgMl
- Gear review of the Sterling Rope (@SterlingRope) Evolution Velocity Athena 9.8mm rope from Alpine Athena (@alpineathena): http://ht.ly/7Zh5f
- Two winter ice climbing essentials that Emilie Drinkwater has from Outdoor Research (@ORGEAR): http://ht.ly/80MzQ
- Gif of @rockclimberlife reviews & demos the Black Diamond Gridlock carabiner http://ht.ly/81EdU
- Shelby shares her sweet gear review of the Petzl (@Petzl) Lynx crampons: http://yearoflivingvertically.wordpress.com/2011/12/06/petzl-lynx-the-crampons-that-go-with-everything/
- Katie Levy (@k8tlevy) reviews the Columbia Sportswear (@Columbia1938) Women’s Zenith Vista Trench: ht.ly/826va

Training & Nutrition
- Badass Girly Guide Mattie Sheafor trains hard for ice climbing season with Mountain Athlete - http://bit.ly/t4HZdy
- The single best thing you can do for your health: http://youtu.be/aUaInS6HIGo
- Check out Paul-Baptiste’s (@paukku) latest mouth-watering recipe for gingerbread waffles: http://ht.ly/7X767
- Good training improvisations & tips by Alli Rainey (@allirainey) to make sure you don’t stall over the holidays: http://ht.ly/83VzO

Inspiration
- From the archives at Sports Illustrated a great article on the “indefatigable” Kitty Calhoun: http://ht.ly/80NIG
- Great new blog from Sarah Hueniken on the surge of motivation for ice climbing she got in Bozeman: http://ht.ly/81RbB

Trip Reports
- AWESOME trip report from the Bozeman Ice Festival by Amy (@TheGearcaster): http://ht.ly/7XTIn
- Trip report from Sasha DiGiulian (@sashadigiulian) on climbing & ambassadorship in SoCal! http://ht.ly/7Zm0u’
- Beautiful photos from Alli Rainey’s fall climbing in the Red: http://ht.ly/81Az5

Fun Stuff
- Hilarious! Nicky shows us her best expedition bon voyage gift ever: http://ht.ly/80uhJ
- Do you know any of these climbing gym characters? http://ht.ly/83WUa

This week’s Gossip Report is brought to you by our sponsors at Columbia Sportswear!

Holiday Gossip from your friends at Chicks!

mburkert — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 15:45:09 +0000

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.

Have you heard about the Chicks HOLIDAY SPECIALS on all of our 2012 Chicks with Picks clinics yet?!?!?! If you want to come out and join us in Ouray in 2012 then find out how to save big by signing up in December! Check out all the details here.

This “Chicks sighting”/trip report is an example of our alumnae going from learning to tie into a rope to becoming self-sufficient climbers taking trips to the Dolomites! Read about Cheryl Wallace & Kate Higgins’ trip to the beautiful mountains of Italy here.

We also posted a blog this week from The Head Chick as she tries to capture with words many of the “intangibles” our Chicks take home after a clinic. Read what some of our alumnae have to say here at the Chicks blog.

Do you hang out on Google+ ??? So do we! Find us here so we can get you in our circle and stay up-to-date on another platform with all the latest and greatest from Chicks.

Climbing
- Is Ouray home to America’s hardest mixed climbing area? http://ht.ly/7Pazn
- If you haven’t seen this awesome video of Sasha DiGiulian’s (@sashadigiulian) send of “Pure Imagination” take a few to watch it now: http://ht.ly/7SXIn
- The Sue Nott scholarship for the Michigan Ice Fest is still available for girls 9-17 who want to learn to ice climb: http://ht.ly/7TqFH
- GREAT interview with climbing legend Jeff Lowe is up at The GearCaster (@TheGearcaster): http://ht.ly/7P9SQ
- Vertical Girl athlete Tara Reynvaan kills ‘Kings of Rap’ 5.12d at Smith Rock! Sick! http://fb.me/1r2FLBF9N
- Wise words on taking a rest period from climbing to stave off injury from Erica (@cragmama): http://ht.ly/7T711
- Good read from Climbing Magazine (@ClimbingMag) which interviewed Yosemite’s SAR staff on some big-wall accidents from the past 10 years: http://ht.ly/7Ps1E
- Great lesson on the different “quick” belay techniques from AAI (@AlpineInstitute): http://ht.ly/7Qy3N
- New interview with Girly Guide Caroline George on Ice Climbing: http://ht.ly/7RIIx
- Fun interview with Will Gadd – see what he’s been up to (including dry tooling as a stunt double for a new Jason Bourne flick!) http://ht.ly/7UEJu
- Kelly Cordes talks about the magic of Hyalite Canyon ice climbing: http://ht.ly/7UCoZ
- Anyone can climb. Be inspired. http://ht.ly/7PrJ3
- Has increasing access to technology in remote locations affected your climbing experience? http://ht.ly/7UCTK
- Great video of Mt. Gretna bouldering! http://fb.me/zv3T5zq7
- Awesome holiday gift guide for climbers courtesy of Splitter Choss (@splitterchoss): http://ht.ly/7T7vC
- Looking for a gift? How about giving the Gift of Membership to The American Alpine Club to your favorite climber? http://owl.li/7Ln1C

News
- The Head Chick gets some press at the Bozeman Ice Fest this past weekend! http://ht.ly/7WA8q
- Climbing legend Lynn Hill post new Facebook page http://ht.ly/7UEPp

Gear
- The Lowdown on Down: An update from Patagonia on its down sourcing: http://ht.ly/7QsAk
- The Columbia (@Columbia1938) Cliff Grabber Glove was a win for Katie Levy (@k8tlevy) - check it out: http://ht.ly/7SYXD
- Why a windshirt rocks: http://ht.ly/7UEvL

Inspiration
- You have to be willing to not be graceful doing something to one day become graceful. http://ht.ly/7T83L
- A great reminder from Tali (@cupcakemafia) in her latest blog titled “It Could Be You”: ht.ly/7UEjf
- Friday Five – Inspiration from Splitter Choss: http://ht.ly/7UETJ
- Jenn Fields’ most recent “Field Notes” is about one Marmot (@marmotpro) climber’s adventures in philanthropy: http://ht.ly/7P8qi
- Here’s a picture of Colette McInerney, Red River Gorge, Kentucky. Shot by Keith Ladzinski http://ow.ly/i/mOzD

Trip Reports
- Trip report from Jeline (@ClimbOnSister) who made her way to Hueco Tanks for some bouldering: http://ht.ly/7QOwY

Fun Stuff
- Check out Steph Davis’ (@highsteph) rad dog Cajun – she’s a little canine climbing machine! http://ht.ly/7SVBn
- Brendan (@semi_rad) wants to know if it is OK if I call you Dude? ht.ly/7T7IA
- Funny! “The cat often does a much better job filing my picks than I do!” http://pic.twitter.com/Qla5rIW2

This week’s Gossip Report is brought to you by our sponsors at Columbia Sportswear!

Hot deals & hot gossip; we’re cranking up the heat this December!

mburkert — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 16:19:29 +0000

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. Last week we announced a Chicks HOLIDAY SPECIAL on all of our 2012 Chicks with Picks clinics. If you want to find out how to save big, check out all the details here. Don’t delay, this offer is ONLY good for Chicks that sign up in December!

Do you hang out on Google+ ??? So do we! Find us here so we can get you in our circle and stay up-to-date on another platform with all the latest and greatest from Chicks.

On the Chicks blog last week we posted a trip report from Girly Guide Dannika Gilbert who climbed the Direct North Face route of 12,579 peak just outside of Silverton, Colo. while sporting some new gear she was testing for our sponsors at Columbia Sportswear. Find out how it felt for Dannika to get back on the ice AND how her Columbia gear made out in the full report here.

We also posted a new blog from Nicky Messner who is getting ready to head out to Aconcagua in just TWO weeks and has been spending a lot of time getting prepared mentally and physically. See what her tips are for the next time you get ready for a climbing expedition, and learn more about her upcoming June expedition to climb Kilimanjaro (which you can join her on) here.

Climbing
- Want in on the 2012 Ouray Ice Festival Comp.? Applications are due Dec. 15: http://ht.ly/7OTuw
- Great resource from http://CascadeClimbers.com on all the in’s and out’s of ice climbing gear: http://ht.ly/7HHoR
- Awesome blog post from Emily Harrington on her time climbing at the Red this fall: http://emilyaharrington.wordpress.com/2011/12/01/kentucky/
- Ice in the San Juan’s is still a bit wild, but definitely shaping up! http://ht.ly/7Hlgo
- An Accident and a Self-Rescue: http://tinyurl.com/83goueh
- A neat knot to know. http://ht.ly/7IxzQ
- Ever got stuck at a plateau? Elizabeth tells us how she did, and what got her to bust on through it! .http://bit.ly/vJj0G7
- Have you considered climbing with an 80m rope? @splitterchoss did with the Sterling Rope Nano & shares why it’s awesome: http://ht.ly/7N0Le
- Join or Renew your AAC Membership and you could win $1000 in gear! http://owl.li/7Kqal Ends Dec. 31.
- Want to give your climbing buddy a gift this holiday season? Here are some ideas from Gif (@rockclimberlife): http://ht.ly/7LenT

News
- Minnesota climber Lonnie Dupre to try again for a winter ascent of Denali http://bit.ly/rRQln3
- This week’s climbing, skiing, and outdoor news from AAI (@AlpineInstitute) http://ht.ly/7LHj6

Gear
- Review of the Petzl (@Petzl) Lynx crampons now up on Cold Thistle: http://ht.ly/7HGXx
- Check out what Katie (@k8tlevy) thought of the Columbia Sportswear (@Columbia1938) baselayer midweight striped tight: http://ht.ly/7Hmk7
- Stay warm in a fleece jumpsuit this winter http://bit.ly/sVH1mi
- Have long arms? Then the Mountain Hardwear Butter Zippity may just be for you. Check out what Jill (@Geargals) has to say: http://ht.ly/7LHXX
- New post on Paukku’s Life Annotations: Why I Buy? The Shiny and the Solid http://ow.ly/7LmCQ
- Jill (@Geargals) was impressed with the breathability of the Mountain Hardwear Drystein (Dry-Q) jacket. Full review: http://ht.ly/7OTTs

Inspiration
- Good stuff about teaching your children to dream big: http://ow.ly/7HKKC
- Top 5 regrets of the dying. Powerful stuff: http://beyondtheopposites.com/?p=94
- Inspired by Patagonia’s “Don’t Buy This Jacket” ad Brendan (@semi_rad) reminds us of other things we can do without http://ht.ly/7Lfhp

Training & Nutrition
- Interesting article on strength training for rock climbing – part 1 in a 2-part series: http://ht.ly/7IwL2
- Why Yoga for Rock Climbers? http://ht.ly/7LbD5
- Training tips for 19-year-old Megan from Steph Davis (@highsteph) that may help you out, too! http://ht.ly/7N1GK

Trip Reports
- Majka Burhardt & Sarah Garlick recount their expedition to Mozambique: http://ht.ly/7IVzA
- Erica (@cragmama) had some FUN climbing the slab at Stone Mountain last weekend! http://ht.ly/7JXYv
- Another Amazing Trip Report – Half Dome With My Daughter: http://ht.ly/7LIwT

Fun Stuff
- Climbing fail. Anyone in the mood for Doritos? http://ht.ly/7Hmwu
- More bad belays: (“Hold on, we’re almost out of beer!”): http://ow.ly/7HuV2
- Best Christmas ornament ever?? http://instagr.am/p/WbQbj/
- ”The mountaineering look is actually quite a practical one.” http://nyti.ms/uSm7qh
- Nothing says “Christmas Spirit” like old rope tinsel! http://fb.me/SqDtl7bk
- Giveaway from the Climbing Narc: Win A 2011 Access Fund Holiday Pack http://ht.ly/7OTlw

This week’s Gossip Report is brought to you by our sponsors at Columbia Sportswear!

Post-turkey Gossip!

mburkert — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 15:30:51 +0000

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. As we approach the crushing madness that is the holiday season, remember that the gift of a Chicks clinic is definitely one that will continue to give for years to come! So think about signing up your sister, mom, aunt, cousin, girlfriend – whoever it is that’s special to you – for a life-changing experience at Chicks with Picks!

We hope you all had a wonderful holiday weekend with friends and family. We are excited for a couple of new posts we’ve got ready for the Chicks blog this week including a trip report from Chicks Girly Guide Dannika Gilbert who’s been getting on some early season ice in the Ouray area along with a Chicks sighting to report as well! So stay tuned

Climbing
- Tips for (& good reasons to) make the switch to leashless climbing of the ice and mixed variety: http://bit.ly/uZycf2
- Emily Harrington & the figure four: http://bit.ly/smcDWD
- See powerful video of ice climbing accident & self-rescue, along with thoughtful analysis from Will Gadd: http://ht.ly/7H7cg
- Some good tips for proper gear to wear when rock climbing during this shoulder season to stay warm! http://bit.ly/uVPLch
- Sarah (@cdnrockiesgirl) shares what it’s like to be a first-time route setter at the climbing gym: http://ht.ly/7FbjT
- Our friend Paul-Baptiste Baca (@paukku) was recently given a kickass birthday gift, which he named Koskenkorva Martini (5.10a) http://bit.ly/rDNRFm
- Q&A with badass climber Chick Angie Payne: http://bit.ly/suj328
- Check out the latest, most updated clinic schedule for Ice Fest 2012!! http://www.scribd.com/doc/73364789/2012-Clinic-Template-V4-2
- Congrats to Sonnie Trotter for the only 2nd ascent of The Prophet (5.13d R) on El Cap. http://bit.ly/uXfjbd
- Ready to climb out of fall into winter? Check out a preview of upcoming 2011-2012 ice festivals: http://bit.ly/tWyrMx
- Nice profile on @SterlingRope climber Leslie Timms: http://bit.ly/vOf8xs
- Whoa! 5.15 in the Red? http://bit.ly/sZxuQ4
- The Smiley’s have 8 climbs planned for 2012 as they continue their 50 Classics ticklist – but they need your help: http://vimeo.com/32425674
- Tommy Caldwell steps away from the Dawn Wall project…until next year: http://bit.ly/tMztTc
- Jenn Flemming’s “Fraid Line” 5.13R with a PINK Sterling Rope (@SterlingRope) Nano 9.2: http://bit.ly/ugL48m
- Big City Mountaineers (@bigcitymtneers) just announced a Mount Shasta all-women’s climb! bit.ly/rOKfMT
- Check out the French Alpine club excellence team climbing free on some serious big walls in Yosemite http://ow.ly/7EWmC

Gear
- The Petzl (@Petzl) Lynx Crampons are on this Chick’s wish list! See what else is on The Gear Caster’s (@thegearcaster) gift guide for climbers: http://bit.ly/u4VtRW
- Chicks gear tester Sara B. liked this piece from our sponsors at Columbia Sportswear (@Columbia1938) so much that she wore it 3 days in a row in Zion: http://bit.ly/tQYQLP
- Staying connected is critical for Krysia (@ventrsomekrysia) who reviews The North Face (@thenorthface) eTip gloves: http://bit.ly/sWyLmh

Inspiration
- You can’t help but smile watching these young Chicks crushing! http://ht.ly/7H7HR

Training & Nutrition
- Art or food? Or both?? Paul-Baptiste Baca’s (@Paukku) Holiday Harvest Loaf http://bit.ly/uZwoHT
- Great tips from Elizabeth (@eliz_rocks) on staying healthy mentally & physically when schedules get crazy (i.e. the holidays?!) http://bit.ly/uKyrXQ
- Rock climbing one of the Top 5 Sports for a full body workout http://ow.ly/7ByFb

Trip Reports
- New trip report from Erica (@cragmama) who also demonstrates an awesome SEND at Dixon: http://bit.ly/vuz8sp

Fun Stuff
- Citibank commercial featuring Katie Brown & Alex Honnold! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VE4bcq8Plzk

This week’s Gossip Report is brought to you by our sponsors at Columbia Sportswear!

Giving thanks & the gift of Chicks!

mburkert — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 16:09:45 +0000

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. As we approach the crushing madness that is the holiday season, remember that the gift of a Chicks clinic is definitely one that will continue to give for years to come! So think about signing up your sister, mom, aunt, cousin, girlfriend – whoever it is that’s special to you – for a life-changing experience at Chicks with Picks!

Last week we posted the awesome video “selling” Chicks that Outside TV made. If you haven’t seen it yet you can check it out here.

We also had a wonderful new post from Nicky Messner who talked about the impetus that brought her to change her life and get hooked on climbing. Check it out and learn about her upcoming Kilimanjaro women’s expedition in June here.

Climbing
- “Success because we failed” – quote from a GREAT blog by Janet Bergman on summer expedition to India: http://bit.ly/sWWnCZ
- Some good tips from Vertical Girl’s Girl Beta on moving your bouldering outdoors: http://bit.ly/v5jv7f
- The New Ouray Ice Park Winter Guide is up! http://bit.ly/ucct1z
- Insane friction climbing – check out Beth Rodden on the Kauk Slab: http://bit.ly/sy9RUd
- Holy BADASS! Check out this video of Thomasina Pidgeon sending Chbalanke and Dark Age in Hueco (V12 & V11): http://bit.ly/u52LZ2
- Awesome video of Jenn Fleming doing the FFA of “Fraid Line” a 5.13R: http://bit.ly/ugL48m
- Possible FA. Still waiting on confirmation, but here it is! http://youtu.be/xfVxoR0w3T4
- SWEET video of Emily Harrington (@emilyaharringto) sending Waka Flocka 5.14b in Rifle last month! http://bit.ly/uOndhy
- Carabeiner clipping tip for sport climbers from AAI (@AlpineInstitute): http://bit.ly/tzrhqI
- Some tips on practicing a fall from Climbing Magazine (@ClimbingMag): http://bit.ly/rQ0qxk
- Erica gives a great play-by-play of “Dave the Dude” 5.11d at the Red: http://bit.ly/uFqan5
- Fun interview with Adam Market on Climb Find (@ClimbFind): http://bit.ly/vBWMIc
- Best 5 Places to Go Ice Climbing and Winter Hiking in New Jersey – http://sports.yahoo.com/ski/news?slug=ycn-10399809
- Anyone else excited to see what Sarah Garlick & Majka Burhardt get up to here?: http://bit.ly/u7CVRG

News
- This week’s climbing, skiing & outdoor news from AAI (@alpineinstitute): http://bit.ly/tWJGSa
- A really cool opportunity for teachers to take seminars & training sessions in Denali: http://bit.ly/svU1dx

Gear
- The Merrell Wilderness Remix boots gets a thumb’s up from Jill (@geargals): http://bit.ly/v5zU3F
- Chicks gear tester Sara said of Columbia Sportswear’s (@Columbia1938) Windefend™ Half Zip biking on Gooseberry Mesa “it breathed well & cut wind!” http://bit.ly/vrCkKP
- The baselayer midweight stripe tight from sponsors Columbia Sportswear (@Columbia1938) kept tester Sara nice & warm while skiing Red Mtn. Pass http://bit.ly/uGhEhd

Inspiration
- MUST READ: An honest post from Sarah Hueniken on trusting yourself and learning from ‘failure’: http://bit.ly/vMYoC0

Trip Reports
- Emilie Drinkwater wraps up the Karakoram Expedition trip report http://bit.ly/vYxv8z
- Nina Caprez on the Petzl RocTrip to China: http://bit.ly/tappML
- Nice TR from Erica (@Cragmama) on a recent weekend at the FANTASTIC Red: http://bit.ly/tjkou2
- Great report of the Chouinard-Herbert route on Dreaming in Vertical (@Dreaminvertical) http://bit.ly/vCzESU

Fun Stuff
- A classic from the Alipinist (@AlpinistMag) archives in honor of indoor (gym) rock climbing season kicking off: http://bit.ly/eHw453
- Great new post from Jenn Fields (@JennFields) on learning a sport from your significant other: http://bit.ly/sRNuux
- How to prep for Thanksgiving gluttony: (Bad) tips for exercising into calorie debt, steely abs: http://bit.ly/vG66Yx
- More fun from Brendan (@Semi_Rad) on how to add some flair (pizzazz or jack-assery) to your outdoor photos: http://bit.ly/uyjAth

This week’s Gossip Report is brought to you by our sponsors at Columbia Sportswear!