Here’s a video of some kickass First Ascent Chicks sent in by Girly Guide Caroline George. These Chicks are climbing big mountains, scaling some impressive water ice and ripping it downhill. Check it out, and enjoy!
Archive for the ‘Uncategorized’ Category
Some inspiring Chicks!
Thursday, October 13th, 2011TWWI alumna shares her experience
Friday, April 22nd, 2011
As promised, today we hear from a participant of TWWI courses, “Little L”!
I am a two-time participant in the Leadership course, and both of my adventures have been life changing. The principle value I’ve learned on my two summers with TWWI is respect: respect for the environment, for the opinions of others, for yourself, and for women everywhere. This sense of appreciation and honor for the multifaceted beauty around me is something I take with me after my experiences in the backcountry with TWWI.
Another special thing about TWWI is the level of support you get from your trip leaders (although on the leadership course, we acknowledge that everyone in the group assumes the role of a trip leader). My trip leaders were amazing at making sure the needs of the group were met, while also helping us expand the boundaries of our comfort zones each day. Each girl has their personal challenges on the trip that become very apparent in the first couple of days, but through the effort of the group, each girl grows to work with and eventually overcome their challenges.
In my first year, I struggled with the altitude of the hike. Coming from sea level in New Jersey the shift in altitude was noticeable for me. There were times I felt horrible, wanting to give up and just stop, but being in my group I realized my hardships didn’t change the fact that we needed to reach a certain milestone for the day in order to stay on schedule. You realize you’re not the only one with needs and you certainly don’t hold precedent over the needs of the group as a whole.
I learned to push through these difficulties, and in the process I realized just how strong I was.
That’s what TWWI does for you; it shows you the power in a group of dedicated young women, and also the power in yourself. This year I have decided to return to Boulder to mentor young girls.
TWWI is for everyone from the first-time backpacker to the seasoned hiker.
Learn more about The Girls’ Wilderness Program here and see what Lori, “Little L’s” mother had to say about the program here.
Danika Gilbert reschedules Southern Greenland slideshow
Thursday, February 3rd, 2011Girly Guide Danika Gilbert was scheduled to present her slideshow on her summer in Southern Greenland this past Monday, Jan. 31, but got stuck behind *another* troubled bus (two in one month!) at Red Mountain Pass and was unable to make the show.
However, we are happy to announce that Danika has rescheduled her slideshow for 6:30 p.m., Wednesday, Feb. 9 at Backstreet Bagels in downtown Ouray. We hope you can make it to hear all about Danika’s time in Greenland putting up new routes! Read more about the show (and Danika) below:
Adventure in Southern Greenland: Climbing Granite Spires Amid the Ice
In the summer of 2010, the small team of Danika Gilbert, Sarah Garlick, Dave Nettle and Jim Surette established new routes on a remote island in southern Greenland. Join us for an evening of images and entertainment from the team’s explorations of this amazing land to the north. Steep granite walls rising from the ocean, icebergs, whales and a few bugs with unbeatable views make this a must-see show.
About Danika
Danika Gilbert has made the San Juan’s her home since 2002 and is passionate about sharing her love of the outdoors with others, whatever the activity. She has traveled around the world both as a scientist and climber. She makes her living as a full-time guide now, leading people on adventures from rock and ice climbing to mountain biking and skiing. Danika lives above Ridgway, CO with her sweet dog Avellana who is a constant companion on runs, bike rides and ski adventures in the San Juan Mountains.
Angela Hawse on using judgement when evaluating anchor placement
Wednesday, February 2nd, 2011Angela Hawse gives a full day self-rescue clinic during The Complete Chicks with Picks clinic, which we always get rave reviews about.
Here’s a short clip from her class on the importance of evaluating your surroundings and using good judgement when preparing to build an anchor:
This week’s gossip? Clinics, OR Show, and Clinics oh my!
Monday, January 24th, 2011
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 wrapped up with our first two clinics of 2011, The Graduate and The Sampler last week, made a mad dash to Outdoor Retailer to try and get some more sponsored support from the outdoor industry, and are getting ready to kick off The Complete tomorrow evening! So, in all that craziness we may have missed some great climbing articles, so if you think we skipped something that is gossip worthy, please let us know and we will add it to the report!
In addition to The Complete this week, we also have two Chicks with Picks slideshow and auctions to raise money for local women’s shelters and the Ouray Ice Park coming up within the next seven days! First up, we have ski mountaineering extraordinaire Hilaree O’Neill who will be taking you around the world on skis Friday, Jan. 28 at the Ouray Community Center, and Girly Guide Danika Gilbert on Monday, Jan. 31 talking about her summer trip doing first ascents in Southern Greenland. Check out all the details here! Finally, we’ll be closing out the month with our final Chicks with Picks clinic of the year – The Quickie!
This week we posted a great blog from The Gearcaster – Amy Jurries – about what it takes to be a good “second” or partner in multi-pitch ice climbing. Do you have any other tips to add about being a good second you can share? Check out her complete blog and give us your feedback here.
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 here on the blog.
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!
Climbing
- Nice, short video of the awesome Alex Johnson sending the V10 Stained Glass http://ht.ly/3Gfg1
- The great Steph Davis (@highsteph) has advice on practice falls to make sure it isn’t fear that holds up your climbing progress: http://ht.ly/3GG7n
- Icicles, rock, angles, crevasses? All present in the latest climb Will Gadd is working on: http://ht.ly/3IQtS
- It’s climbing season in Patagonia & David Lama’s controversy on Cerro Torre is back on. Get up to speed: http://ht.ly/3J5QV
- Nice piece by AAI (@AlpineInstitute) on the ethics of leaving fixed ropes, caches, and draws for climbing: http://ht.ly/3JuGs
- Katie (@k8tlevy) has compiled six VERY GOOD reasons you need to try ice climbing if you haven’t yet: http://ht.ly/3JuTY
- Great resource for Canadian Chicks site that gives beta on Canadian Rockies ice climbing routes http://ht.ly/3IPz
- Oh my goodness! Speed ice climbing video – but PLEASE do not try this at home! http://ht.ly/3Jux9
- OK, so Dave isn’t a Chick, but we do really love it when anyone gets bit by the ice climbing bug, as he describes in his blog here: http://ow.ly/3J7Re
- Really nice article from Peter Carey (@pwcarey) on how rock climbing is about SO much more than just climbing: http://ht.ly/3IPHI
News
- This week’s outdoor, skiing, and climbing news from AAI (@AlpineInstitute) http://tinyurl.com/4g4kcy7
Gear
- We saw how popular the down skirt was on Girly Guide Jen Olson during “The Sampler” and Amy (@TheGearcaster) spotted a new one by Sierra Designs at OR: http://bit.ly/fpJhy7 Do you think you would wear this?
- Gear review from Whitney (@vvhitneyo) on the different products & layers she wears climbing when it’s cold outside http://ht.ly/3IEgk
- Gear review of the 70m Petzl Nomad 9.8 mm rope: http://ht.ly/3IQAA
Training and Nutrition
- Good piece by Alli Rainey (@allirainey) on ‘testing’ your mind and body on whether you should take a rest day or climb: http://ht.ly/3GFAT
- Really great blog post by Lizzy (@lizzy_t) on winter training for climbing! http://ht.ly/3GfiR
- Some of the benefits of yoga for athletes from the Prana blog: http://ht.ly/3IQpG
Fun Stuff
- “Have fun, feel accomplished” – good advice from Elizabeth (@eliz_rocks) on how to beat the winter blahs: http://ht.ly/3IPM
Inspiration
- Matthew Childs’ 9 life lessons from rock climbing: http://t.co/expI4VS
- Girly Guide Dawn Glanc is on display at the Mountain Hardwear OR show booth!! http://ow.ly/i/7pRB
- Check out a quick video of our YOUNGEST Chick at heart climbing in Ouray – 63-year-old Denise at The Sampler: http://bit.ly/eRii34
- Great ice climbing shot from @alpinestyle in the red rock canyons of Colorado National Monument this last weekend: http://yfrog.com/h23wrn
- Nice blog by Kristin (@TheMountainDiva) on juggling career & life, which she finds requires a headspace similar to lead climbing: http://ht.ly/3Juom
Just plain COOL!
- 6 of 9 Chicks at the 2011 Alpine Club YEG Section ice climbing trip in Nordeg this past weekend were Chicks with Picks alumnae! http://yfrog.com/gzzazgcj
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!
Women in Ouray Ice Festival competition
Thursday, January 6th, 2011In response to the question as to why there were only four women admitted into the Ouray Ice Festival Competition this year, the Head Chick went to the director of the Ouray Ice Fest competition to get answers.
Here’s what she found out:
“Historically, there have only been 15 men and 5 women in the comp. This year 25 men and 7 women applied. Two women didn’t make the cut. So they narrowed it to a field of 15 men and 5 women.
When one woman dropped out – the two alternates were called and both denied. So they only have 4 women this year. The comp. director said it’s nothing against women, it’s that no-one applied.”
Here are the four women that will be competing:
Zoe Hart
Emily Harrington
Dawn Glanc
Jen Olson
Best of luck to all of you!
*Update* This post was edited 1/11/11 to remove a metaphorical comment made by a third party when we were trying to find out the real deal behind the four women in the competition. The comment was not an opinion by the Head Chick on the difficulty of the route or any of the competitors’ climbing abilities.
Last few days to cash in on our holiday special!
Wednesday, December 29th, 2010
Did you get what you wanted for Christmas?
Or, are you resolving to try something fun and new in 2011?
(Guys, did you mess it up and need to make it up?)
Well, we can help you save money if climbing is the name of the game with our special holiday package that will help you save big bucks when signing up for a Chicks with Picks and Chicks Rock! clinic before Jan. 1.
Holiday Packages: Great for the gals who want it all – Rock & Ice!
If you sign up for both a 2011 Chicks with Picks AND a Chicks Rock! clinic before January 1st, you get a discount on BOTH clinics:
- - 4-day clinics, you get $100 off ice or rock
- - 3-day clinics, you get $75 off ice or rock
- - 2-day clinics, you get $50 off ice or rock
For example, Suzie signed up for the 4-day Chicks Complete and the 2-day Chicks Rock! Girly Gathering in 2011. Taking advantage of the holiday package deal means Suzie will get a $100 discount for the Complete and a $50 discount for the Girly Gathering!
If you are already signed up for any 2011 Chicks with Picks ice clinic, just sign up for Chicks Rock! and you get the package. It’s easy – just combine any of our two winter & summer programs.
As a head’s up, here is the enrollment status of our upcoming Chicks with Picks clinics:
- - The Sampler has only a few spaces left
- - The Graduate is FULL
- - The Complete has space available
- - The Quickie has space available
Thinking about it? Tell us! We can answer your questions and get you the info. you need. So e-mail us at info@chickswithpicks.net or call (970) 626-4424.
Jill’s Chicks experience gives her a push outside her comfort zone, making the world a little bigger place
Thursday, December 16th, 2010
Chicks alumna Jill Mattoon was talked into going ice climbing for the first time by her friend Nancie, a fellow member of the Colorado Mountain Club. Jill signed up for a beginner course in Chicks With Picks and describes her first experience on the ice, and how it has in turn inspired her daughter:
[I had] Never considered ice climbing, and in fact it was the family joke after I started climbing 14ers fairly late in life that someday I would be ice climbing in Ouray! It was so much fun to tell the family that, no, really seriously, I was going to go ice climbing in Ouray!!! They were horrified but not surprised.
The thing I liked best about it was that it was easier than it looked when you learned the right technique. Just like everything, I guess. I found it to be easier than rock climbing because, at 5 ft. 2 inches tall, it is hard to find footholds and fingerholds I can reach, but with the ice picks and crampons, I can make my own that are within reach. It was a real stretch outside of my comfort zone of hiking, cross-country skiing, and non-roped mountain climbing. It was a thrill to be able to do something so new and different. Every time I do something I didn’t think I could do, the possibilities get a little bigger, and the world gets a little bigger.
I enjoyed it a lot, and after my daughter saw the photos, she decided she would try it too. So now the two of us are coming back this year, and I’m excited to introduce her to some real outdoor adventure. She has been watching me do all this crazy stuff over the years, and I hope that she gets bit by the bug.
We hope she does too! We’re looking forward to you and Lindsey joining us next month in Ouray!
The clock is ticking – here’s your weekly Gossip Report!
Monday, December 13th, 2010
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 one-weekend shift in our spring Chicks Rock! Red Rocks dates from our last Gossip Report. So look for Chicks Rock! to take over Red Rocks this spring from March 31-April 3, with the optional multi-pitch clinic taking place April 4. You can check out all the details here.
Also this week we had a great blog post written by Jenn Fields on what the Chicks Climbing experience meant to her. She came to Chicks with Picks as an experienced climber and even though she didn’t need to learn the basics like how to tie in, she did learn how to rethink what is possible – in climbing and life. She also found lifelong friends and climbing partners through Chicks, and even brought her mother out to try it herself! Check out Jenn’s inspiring read here.
We just got word that the Ouray Ice Park will officially be opening this Saturday, Dec. 18! In other Ouray ice news, there are plans for an Ouray Ice Fest tweetup on Friday, Jan. 7. Details on the location and time have yet to be announced, but we will make sure to let you know when and where it will be!
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 here on the blog.
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!
Climbing
- In climbing, the purpose is in the process: http://ht.ly/3m0C3
- Elizabeth (@eliz_rocks) gives us the lowdown on her first-ever experience in a climbing competition (congratulations!!) http://bit.ly/fRzxEO
- Black Diamond athlete Barbara Zangerl repeats Peace (5.13c) in Tuolumne http://bit.ly/g1h2tV
- Will Gadd (@Gilwad) has published a video on how to efficiently swing an ice tool: http://tinyurl.com/2es4mhk
- Climber Magazine has a post from Sarah Flint about ice climbing – including an ice axe hit in the face! http://fb.me/NLMdaRT9
- Great resource for all you climbers, skiers, mountaineers or all-around alpine adventurists – the @verticalwoman Facebook page: http://on.fb.me/hDU1a0
- While we’re on Facebook, if you are headed to the Ouray Ice Fest in January you can look for ride shares, climbing partners, and other various topics up for discussion on the @ourayicepark Facebook page under “discussions” http://tinyurl.com/39h6yyw
News
- Issue 2 of @verticalwoman is hot off the interwebz presses (on a redesigned website to boot!): http://bit.ly/huLphP
- Last week’s outdoor and climbing news roundup from @alpineinstitute: http://tinyurl.com/2emqq2f
Gear
- The American Alpine Institute (@alpineinstitute) doles out some tips for dealing with your backpack on an airplane: http://tinyurl.com/2drgwls
- Katie Levy (@k8tlevy) reviews the La Sportiva Women’s Nepal EVO GTX Mountaineering Boots http://is.gd/ipEwn
- New review up of the Pemba Serves blog of the @Petzl Ergos, complete with dry-tooling video! http://bit.ly/eRf8DH
- The American Alpine Institute (@alpineinstitute) wants to know what your backcountry indispensables are – what items do you absolutely have to have on every backcountry trip? http://ht.ly/3olJF
Trip Reports
- Genevieve Hathaway (@icebella_climbs) posts her trip report on: This House of Sky (WI2-5) in Canada: http://bit.ly/i5J8hj
Inspiration
- Tali (@cupcakemafia) has written a wonderfully insightful post on getting just what you need: http://ht.ly/3m0f5
- Sara (@theclimbergirl) is getting ready to train again – for something! She wants to know what gets you off the sofa, and what your plans for this season are (besides ice climbing of course!!) http://bit.ly/gOvtIL
Fun Stuff
- Nice article on Chicks with Picks including input from one of our most famous Chicks – Anne Hughes! (@AnneFHughes) http://ht.ly/3mOPc
- If you haven’t done it yet, please take this survey on what influences you for Sara, the @theclimbergirl: http://bit.ly/orinfluence
- Jenn Fields (@jennfields) talks about the challenges of being outdoorsy in the Midwest (mud, choss, and chiggers included): http://ow.ly/3olnR
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!
Finally, a reminder that we have posted our “official” Chicks with Picks 2011 press release, so if you are a blogger or any sort of writer, please feel free to use any and all of the content to help us put the word out about our upcoming clinics this January!
Glitter Girl and Girly Guide Margo Talbot has some advice on prepping for ice season, news on new book!
Wednesday, December 1st, 2010
If you came out to a Chicks with Picks clinic in 2008 or 2009, you already know Girly Guide Margo Talbot. If you haven’t met her at Chicks, you’ve likely heard of her in the ice climbing world as a sponsored athlete for Outdoor Research, Sterling Rope, and Osprey.
Margo has written a couple of new blogs we want to point you to as we head into the ice season. The first is an article on early-season ice training at Fresh Air Junkies here: http://www.freshairjunkie.com/index.php/2010/11/ice-climbing-how-to-train-for-the-ice/
and another on Climb for Change in which Margo discusses how she found empowerment through ice climbing: http://www.climbforchange.com/blog/2010-11-22/empowering-women-through-ice-climbing-healing-power-nature
In this post Margo really gets to the heart of what we see in Chicks:
“In my clinics I have witnessed women – who have never walked on anything but sidewalks – using their axes and crampons to get to the top of a 30 metre climb. I have had women tell me they cannot possibly get off the ground, then they surprise themselves by going up two or three stories. But mostly, I see women who discover how powerful they truly are, but have never given themselves the chance to experience it.
Some of my clients have returned home with a smile in their hearts, others have gone off prescription medications for depression, and a few have even made critical relationship decisions that have changed their lives for the better.
More and more people are realizing the importance of adventure therapy and experiential learning for the well-being of the individual. For my part, I need no convincing, having witnessed the healing power of this modality for the past two decades in my own life aswell as the lives of those that I have instructed.
Healing energy is all around us, but nowhere is it more abundant than in Nature, where all that is not real simply falls by the wayside. Not only are we left with a feeling of inner peace, but also the trademark side-effects of clear eyes, rosy cheeks, and the outrageous look of a wind-blown hairdo.”
So, why are we catching up with Margo? Well, aside from letting you know that she’ll be at the Ouray Ice Fest doing clinics for Outdoor Research, she also has a book coming out next year “All That Glitters” – a story of her life that details her childhood trauma, decades of substance abuse and depression, and her ultimate discovery of climbing at the age of 28 – which is when she discovered her profound connection with nature and led to her healing.
Here’s a video promo for the book:
We’ll have more from Margo next week – so stay tuned!
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