Whether you’re a beginner climber or hiker or an experienced mountaineer, a courageous cancer survivor or a person whose life has been affected by cancer, or just someone looking for a weekend of fun – Climb4Life is for you!

HERA Climb4Life Colorado is an incredible weekend of hiking and climbing in beautiful Boulder with professional athletes and guides, as well as others like you who support ovarian cancer research and awareness initiatives.

With your registration you will receive an event shirt* and goodie bag as well as enjoy the Hang Time Happy Hour on Friday night, and the Summit Party on Saturday night. Other weekend activities include Vinyasa yoga, outdoor skills clinics, gear giveaways, and a silent auction. Your registration also comes with one complimentary entry into the gear giveaway.

*Note: Registrations on or after Sat May 26 do not include an event shirt due to the lead time required for printing.
A limited quantity of shirts will be available for purchase during the event for $15.

Fundraising is the cornerstone of HERA’s Climb4Life events. We encourage every participant and volunteer to raise a minimum of $250. Funds raised provide for HERA’s scientific research grant programs, as well as our community grants that raise awareness about ovarian cancer in novel and unusual ways.

As an added incentive, fantastic prize packages from our generous sponsors will be awarded to the top 5 fundraisers, and the top fundraising team will also receive a special prize.

And *NEW* this year — an awesome prize for the person who recruits the most first-time participants! So start recruiting your friends, family, colleagues, your mail carrier, the woman standing behind you in line, the guy you meet at the dog park, etc — when they enter your name on their registration forms as the person who told them about C4L, you’re one step closer to winning the top recruiter prize!

The mission of the HERA Women’s Cancer Foundation is to stop the loss of women to ovarian cancer by promoting Health, Empowerment, Research, and Awareness. To learn more, visit: www.herafoundation.org

Get Started in 3 Simple Steps:
Step 1: Register online by clicking Participant Registration.*
Step 2: Customize your personal Donation Webpage.
Step 3: Invite people to visit your personal Donation Webpage to make a tax-deductible donation to the HERA Women’s Cancer Foundation.

*This website works best with Internet Explorer. Forms may not function properly if you use Safari, Chrome, Firefox or other browser.

Check out more information on the 6th annual HERA Climb4Life here!

Last week we posted our Indian Creek trip report here and the photo set courtesy of Dawn Glanc which is now up on Facebook here. Thanks so much to all the ladies that came out and joined us in the Creek! Since we’ve posted the trip report and photos we are so psyched to hear from several new ladies that are looking to sign up next year, it will be such a great time!

Next up for us at Chicks is a three-day intensive clinic in Devil’s Lake, Wisconsin. This July 27-30 clinic has some discounts available to ladies that sign up in May – either on your own or with a buddy. Check out all the discount details here and don’t delay in signing up and taking advantage of these special deals!

Have you checked out “Chicks Chat” section of the website yet? We are trying to keep our Chicks connected, so please jump on and say hello!

Also, don’t forget to check us out on Pinterest, where we are archiving many of the cool articles we link to. But be warned, it’s a total time suck! If you are on it too, hit us up with your link so we can follow all of our fellow climber Chicks! You can find us here: http://pinterest.com/chicksclimbing/

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!

Climbing
- Sonnie Trotter’s 5 secrets to climbing bad-ass-ness http://bit.ly/ISHWmc
- Love reading about Ashima – she always makes me smile! Here she is in the New York Times:  http://nyti.ms/LJ6NGl
- The new AAC (@AmericanAlpine) guidebook to membership is another fantastic resource they provide! http://owl.li/aPhlI
- New blog post from Paige Claassen with lots of photos from her time in Mill Creek, Utah working a climbing project:  http://bit.ly/Kj5pdK
- “Smash and Grab” style of climbing for climbers with busy lives!  http://www.alpinist.com/doc/web12s/video-smash-and-grab
- Great crack climbing tutorial http://bit.ly/LMLNB2
- Great blog from AAI (@AlpineInstitute) on the ethics of leaving fixed ropes, draws and caches:  http://tinyurl.com/6qekfxl
-  Female Footage Fridays from Climb on, Sister!  (05.11.12): a rad video of Hazel Findlay trad climbing!  http://bit.ly/KuweeR
- Some route developing faux pas from Splitter Choss (@splitterchoss) http://bit.ly/KJSq1n do you have any others you’d include?
- Beautiful blog from Prana (@prAnaLIFE) athlete Jen Venon on the juggling act of life and climbing:  http://bit.ly/JbuVEc
- This is great – Black Diamond (@blackdiamondusa) athlete Chris Shulte takes advantage of cold & snow in winter bouldering: http://bit.ly/LJ0GBP
- This climb is sick! Hayden Kennedy Climbing Carbondale Short Bus (5.14-) http://bit.ly/KFlZ7O
- Keith Ladzinski’s photo of Sasha DiGiulian (@sashadigiulian) on Era Bella 5.14d is the Nat Geo Extreme photo of the week! http://on.natgeo.com/ehY0pA
- This week’s TNB from Rock & Ice (@RockandIce): Dean Potter. Crazy Like I Like. http://www.rockandice.com/news/1959-tnb-dean-potter-crazy-like-i-like
- Hard Trad Climbing Meet in Italy with the AAC. Check it out and apply here: http://owl.li/aQXXS
-  Little Bear Goes To Patagonia, a tribute: http://vimeo.com/41683490
- Love Erica’s (@cragmama) new “The Art of Projecting” as her climb crew talks about working on their latest projects: http://bit.ly/KNPAcj
- Beth Rodden’s rockin’ it! http://fb.me/15mApPYzL
- Madaleine Sorkin does first 5.13c, China Doll. Next goal: Free the Hallucinogen Wall, Black Canyon & send the trad 14a China D variation

News
- Some good Twitter resources in this blog from AAI (@AlpineInstitute): Check out our favorite people to follow: http://tinyurl.com/779tmm6
- On the latest episode of The Enormocast, Chris & Kelly talk about their impressions from the 5Point Film Festival….http://fb.me/ZYjqaldD
- No refunds for Everest climbers http://aol.it/IFkyUC

Training & Nutrition
-  List of tips for training, sports & life courtesy of Pat’s Gym (@patsgym): http://bit.ly/J8RjdZ
- Tips for improving your pull-up numbers: http://bit.ly/IIQUBq
- Good climbing pyramid-structure training tips from Alli Rainey (@allirainey): http://bit.ly/Ji9bCV

Gear
- Approach shoe review from Splitter Choss (@SplitterChoss): http://bit.ly/Kuuwds

Trip Reports
- Trip report from Minnesota’s Blue Mounds courtesy of @summit_air: http://bit.ly/JbIjos
- Trip report from Whitney (@whitneyio) who went climbing in Penitente Canyon: http://bit.ly/Ji2rmQ
- Snake Dike Trip Report with maybe coolest Half Dome Summit cloud photos ever…http://bit.ly/KOfRY2
-  New blog from Elizabeth (@eliz_rocks): There’s rock in Minnesota. I got out & practiced building top-rope anchors this week http://bit.ly/KutSwz

Inspiration
- Great blog from Steph Davis (@highsteph) on things to consider when you’re thinking of adopting a dog: http://bit.ly/IQ3XQx

Fun Stuff
- Ladies, can you identify with some of these “you might be a girl climber if…”  http://bit.ly/IRHjtk
- Absolutely loved this read from Brendan (@semi_rad) on moms who crush – these are the kinds of ladies we often get at Chicks! http://bit.ly/JgJgiH

Giveaways
- How would you like to win a day climbing with Arc’ athlete Nina Caprez? She’ll be at the Alpine Arc’ademy… http://fb.me/1nrvipdZL
- Check out the Marmot Limelight Tent Giveaway for a chance to win a Marmot Limelight 2 Person Tent. http://wfi.re/irr1h

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!

Chicks in the Creek!

That’s what I started to worry about as the Indian Creek Chicks Rock! clinic drew closer. Although my introduction to the world of climbing was through rock, ice is definitely where my heart is – and has been – for the past several years. However, last year I had my first taste of crack climbing and kind of really dug it. It just seemed like my kind of climbing. Repetitive (like ice), formulaic (my brain likes this), and dirty (in chimneys at least) where grunting is fully acceptable. So, when I heard about Dawn spearheading a Chicks Rock! clinic in Indian Creek, I knew I’d be a fool to not go. I mean what better place to learn how to climb cracks?  Even though I do work for Chicks Climbing I’d only ever gone out to Chicks with Picks ice climbing clinics because I just didn’t ever feel the same passion or drive for rock climbing, so I really felt like I was stepping out of my comfort zone signing up to climb in the Creek.

My tent at the Chicks campsite. Nice views, eh?

The day we arrived was a windy one. Dawn, Kitty, Kim & base camp manager awesome-sauce Julie were ready and waiting for us, helping tie tents down with rocks and guide lines. (Note: if you camp in the desert bring lots of guide lines!). At our initial meeting we learned Julie would be providing dinners all week (which were not only delicious, but VERY healthy!) and got totally unexpected prizes from our sponsors and supporters at Marmot, JetBoil, Osprey, Pistil, Omega Pacific, Sterling Rope, Isis, Luna Bars, Fox River Socks, Katy’s Handjam, CHUMS and Beyond Coastal.

Kitty, who is so good at coaching through the mental game.

However, the most important part of the initial meeting was the talk Kitty gave us about climbing in the Creek. While I can’t begin to do it justice, in short she said we should not measure our ability to climb in the Creek on previous climbing experiences. Success would not come by measuring up to previous face climbing grades or having expectations of what you “should” be able to do, or feeling entitled to climbing at a certain grade or ability. As I looked around I could tell that I wasn’t alone in my concern of getting off the ground. I was actually relieved that NONE of us had ever climbed in the Creek, and we had no idea what to expect from the absolutely beautiful perfect splitters we’d be climbing.

Chicks shenanigans. Don't ask me why I thought it was cool to stick out my stomach while posing.

And really, what made me feel better was just knowing I was here with Chicks. Based on my previous experiences at Chicks clinics I knew wouldn’t feel pressured to do anything I didn’t want to do, or be made to feel poorly if (and when) I struggled. So, my sole focus was to learn how to climb cracks right – what techniques should I use, how can I stay in balance, where to find good rests, how to control my breathing (and heart rate) – and that was exactly what I did. Topping out was simply an added bonus!

Food, water & a cooler for the Creek!

I had the pleasure of being in Dawn’s group for the clinic, which I was really excited about since I’ve never gotten a chance be in her group during the ice clinics, and I always hear from her girls about just how much fun they have (and how much they learned!) afterwards. An added bonus was that my hands are very close to the size of Dawn’s, so if she described a climb as having perfect hand jams, I knew I’d have them too.

Tobie "McSends" getting after it at Way Rambo.

Day one we headed to “Way Rambo,” where we made our tape gloves and started to jam. I found Dawn’s method of instruction to be very helpful. She would demo the climb talking about how she was jamming – big hands, fingers, fists, etc. so that when we got on we’d have an idea of what to expect. Even though our group had two ropes set up at almost all times, we generally opted to all climb on one before moving to another. It was different from how I approach climbing in Ouray where I’m all for laps, laps, laps! But the focus on technique, plus the added bonus of having Dawn watch every one of us climb, and my concern for burning out (and losing massive skin) by the final multi-pitch day helped keep my excitement tamed. Not to mention that learning to climb crack is really hard! It was funny how different sized cracks could feel so different. Instead of getting “pumped” while climbing, I got exhausted cardiovascularly. It was a feeling as if I had just sprinted a 100m dash at world-record pace – I was often just gasping for air!

What a gorgeous line this was ("Blue Sun")! See the moon, too?!

So, at Way Rambo all of our fears of not being able to get off the ground were laid to rest as we climbed “Rochambeau” to start things off. Next up was “Fuzz” which had a burly little start that we all had quite a bit of fun with. The last climb of the day was “Blue Sun” which was absolutely my favorite of the day thanks to the PERFECT hands and aesthetic line. The scariest part of the day was cutting off the tape gloves. I felt like I was going to slice my wrist open so Kitty helped me out which was maybe scarier? Here she is sawing away with what felt like an exact-o blade over my wrist. Of course I came out unscathed and psyched for more climbing!

Tobie on "Power Play"

Day two we went to “The Fin” wall and started out on “No Beggin’” before chasing the shade over to “Walkin’ Talkin’ Bob” which had quite a bit of face moves actually (my nemesis!) but was a totally fun route. While we were climbing Julie showed up with a backpack full of cookies, gummy worms and COLD fizzy water which she had oh so casually hiked all the way up to us. That’s how she totally won MVP of the trip! Anyways, since we’d only really climbed hand cracks thus far, Dawn offered to put up another hand line, or to move up to a fingers route. We voted fingers and went off to climb “The Piano” which was just flat-out fun. In fact, I’m not sure if it was more fun to climb it, or to cheer on the other Chicks sending and coming down with smiles that could light a million bulbs.

My best climb was this "unnamed" gorgeous line.

On the third day we went to the Power Wall where we started out on an absolutely gorgeous unnamed splitter hand crack before moving on to “Batteries Not Included.” On this day we actually kind of got to see Kitty’s girls climbing, which was really fun as they tackled a line called “Flower Power” which included a very crux-y move from one crack to another using just your fingers! We finished the day on the finger crack “Power Play” which was again so much fun – I really think part of it is because it’s such a challenge and workout that the joy of sending overwhelms! However, for those with Kitty-sized hands (.75?) you could totally hand jam that line.

Dawn belaying on the South Six Shooter

All the ladies in the clinic had opted for the multi-pitch day so Kitty took her ladies to Castleton Tower where I’m sure they had a blast, while Dawn & Danika Gilbert took the rest of us to the South Six Shooter. The approach was, well let’s just say we missed our path so we got the scenic (and previously untouched by man) route. We also got lessons in spotting pups climbing chimneys! The weather was actually looking a bit sketch during the approach but at the base was steadily improving. Climbing with Tori & Dawn we took a left-facing crack up the first pitch instead of the standard route, which we linked up with on pitches two and three. Topping out was just amazing – the view was absolutely incredible! There was quite a bit of wind which meant Dawn carefully held our line on rappel to make sure we didn’t end up blowing to the opposite face (which *felt* like it could happen it was blowing so hard!).

Tori & I at the top of the South Six Shooter. North Six Shooter is behind us.

Although I have no idea what Kitty’s girls were climbing for most of the trip since they were always *just* around the corner from our group, they definitely sat around the campfire at night with perma-grins like the rest of us, dirty, happy and shredded after climbing, so I feel confident in saying they had a great time too.

I really find it hard to express just how much fun I had on this clinic – not only was the climbing just out of this world fun, but the ladies I had the pleasure of climbing with in Dawn’s group kept us bursting with laughter (Tobie & Tori!) for the whole trip. I also fell madly in love with the desert. Camping out was such a treat in the dead silent, crisp night. I could tell how late in the night it was based on the moon shadows in my tent and I love that. In fact, I’m already obsessively trying to figure out how to get back to the Creek this fall, with some fellow Chicks, of course! Next spring I will definitely be at Indian Creek again with Chicks, it was such a fun trip I can’t recommend it enough – from the bike to the bathroom to the ever-awesome Julie (who always has chocolate available) this was definitely a trip to remember!

P.S. I wish I had more pictures of the other girls but I don’t…yet! When we get them all together I will post an album on the Chicks Facebook page

P.P.S. The next Chicks Rock! event is at Devil’s Lake, Wisc. July 27-30. There are special discounts available for those who sign up by May 31 – details here! We also have a clinic scheduled for the New River Gorge Sept. 21-23 and one in the Adirondacks (Keene Valley) Oct. 5-8 and will be announcing our fall Red Rock clinic dates soon!

Maijaliisa Burkert is the Marketing & Social Media Chick for Chicks Climbing. Learn more about her work at High Altitude Media here.

Last week, we announced two ways to save for our NEXT Chicks Rock! clinic, which is in Devil’s Lake, Wisc. July 27-30. If you sign up by May 31 as an individual, you can save $75 on the cost of the clinic. If you sign up by May 31 with a buddy, you will EACH save $100 on the cost of the clinic. If you can’t commit until June that’s no problem – you can sign up with a buddy by June 30 and still save $50 on the cost of the clinic. Check out all the details in our blog post here.

While we were gone we announced our official partnership with Ashenzi, a manufacturer of climbing apparel for women, which you can buy through Chicks for a special savings! Check out all the details of our new affiliate program here.

Have you checked out our “Chicks Chat” section of the website yet? It’s a new discussion forum we have set up and we want you to get in on it!

Also, don’t forget to check us out on Pinterest, where we are archiving many of the cool articles we link to. But be warned, it’s a total time suck! If you are on it too, hit us up with your link so we can follow all of our fellow climber Chicks! You can find us here: http://pinterest.com/chicksclimbing/

Did we miss any cool stuff this week? It’s highly likely considering we were off-line for a good 7+ days!  Let us know if you’ve got a link to some climbing-related goodies so we can share with everyone else!

Climbing
- The talented (and jet-lagged) Sasha DiGiulian (@SashaDigiulian) sends the 5.14d “Era Bella” in Spain: http://bit.ly/I1mYMQ
- In her own words, Sasha DiGiulian on her Era Bella 9a send: http://www.sasha-digiulian.com/blog
- Cool primer from Mark Synnott for those looking to get started in big-wall climbing  http://bit.ly/JvgoTL
- Two months of bouldering at Bishop in less than 9 minutes. Check out Regan Kennedy & Josh Muller of Outdoor Research (@ORGEAR):  http://bit.ly/JD38es
-  Great coverage of Sterling team member Silvia Vidal’s Solo Epic Patagonia big-wall climb  http://bit.ly/IBL95t
-  Highlights from sport climbing comp won by Sasha DiGiulian & Alex “Socks” Johnson http://fb.me/1yqeWkvJi
- Slovenian crusher Mina Markovic wins the world cup at home in Log-Dragomer. News, video, pics, etc.:
http://spotsettingblog.wordpress.com/2012/04/23/log-dragomer-slovenia-bouldering-world-cup-finals-coverage-wrap-up/
- BD athlete Kyle Dempster reports on his ice climbing trip to the Canadian Rockies in a warmer-than-normal year: http://bit.ly/JQsXrI
- Stay alive while climbing: good list of reminders http://bit.ly/Il899H
- Great Rock & Ice (@RockandIce) TNB on “Scar Wars” http://bit.ly/IPQhSB  What climbing scars do you have?
- Last year I attended the AAC (@americanalpine) International Climbers’ Meet at Yosemite last year & highly recommend it! Applications due July 1: http://bit.ly/I6vtqQ
- Hey, Chicks Girly Guide Jen Olson is working a really neat under-25 climbing camp in Canmore this July for MEC with Sonnie Trotter: http://bit.ly/IpYte4
- What’s your feeling on getting spray beta while climbing? New from Splitter Choss (@splitterchoss): http://bit.ly/I7yp9I
- Since fall climbing plans are starting to be made, Eileen has put up the JTree Tweetup 4 wiki page! http://bit.ly/I4qs03

News
- Extremely dangerous conditions on Everest prompt Russell Brice to pull plug on commercial expedition: http://ht.ly/aKiOn

Training & Nutrition
- Climbing training tip No. 5 from Alli Rainey: Getting Stronger by Resting Enough http://allirainey.com/home/2012/04/24/training-talk-5-getting-stronger-by-resting-enough-2/
- New podcast from Gif of Rock Climber Life on why you should cross train for climbing: http://bit.ly/Io1Jqc

Trip Reports
- Great trip report from Sarah (@cdnrockiesgirl) on her recent trip out to Red Rock!  http://bit.ly/IRHT5b
- Climbers with kiddos, some tips from @climbwithkids: Climbing in Red Rock Canyon, Best Crags for Kids  http://www.climbwithkids.com/?p=285
- Have you had a trip like this? The Darker Side of an Expedition http://bit.ly/IIoAMh

Inspiration
- Erica (@Cragmama) shares her biggest lessons learned from breaking her talus bone: http://bit.ly/K3TCwX
- We look forward to what else Tali of @cupcakemafia will be doing now as she says goodbye in her final post at Cupcake Mafia: http://ow.ly/aw890

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 year, our women’s three-day intensive clinic at Devil’s Lake is happening July 27-30, so come on out and spend a long weekend climbing with Chicks at this midwest climbing mecca!

We have two special pricing discounts you can take advantage of – if you sign up early!

If you sign up as an individual by May 31, you can take advantage of our early-bird special and save $75 on the cost of the clinic.

For those of you who want to save even more, bring a buddy along! Yes, our infamous buddy deal is back: if you and a buddy both sign up by May 31 you can each save $100 on the cost of the clinic. Those that miss the May deadline can still save $50 each if you both sign up by June 30.

The early-bird and buddy deal discounts apply to both the full package affair which includes three days of climbing at a 4-1 ratio, all meals, climbing and camping gear, or the daytime package which consists of climbing lessons only.

You can get more information by checking out the complete details of our Chicks Rock! women’s intensive climbing clinic here.

Are you wondering what our Chicks have to say about the clinic? Check out Elizabeth’s testimony from her 2011 Chicks Rock! Devil’s Lake experience here.

Finally, for those within a group of three friends, please contact us at info(at)chickswithpicks.net so we can get the buddy deal savings worked out for you as well!

We look forward to seeing you at Devil’s Lake!

Ashenzi  is a company inspired by women climbers. Based on the experience of their climbers, Ashenzi has carefully selected materials and created flattering designs for climbing clothing that performs with grace and confidence. The objective of Ashenzi’s designs is to embrace your contours and flow with your body’s motions whether you are conquering your latest project or out for a relaxing stroll.

We know that to perform well, your body has to feel comfortable and confident, and great fit is essential for clothing to look good and feel comfortable. We also know that bodies are as different as the lives that they carry are. Our designs aspire to keep women feeling beautiful while they playing in the wild.

Ashenzi’s clothing is made with the highest quality materials and manufactured with environmental awareness & social responsibility in mind. Ashenzi goes to great lengths to ensure their manufacturing impacts the environment as little as possible and is 100% sweat-shop free.

As part of our partnership with Ashenzi, any of the three products below you order through Chicks – using the discount code chickswithpicks you will save an additional 5% and we at Chicks get a cut of the profit!

Check out Ashenzi’s current offerings through Chicks:

- Spirit Pant
- Versavi Pant
- Encore Fleece Pant

There is more to come, so stay tuned!

Of course, you can check out the complete line of  Ashenzi clothing here on their website.

If you are a manufacturer of a product of interest to Chicks, and would like to get it listed on the Chicks website under our “Go Shopping!” tab, please contact us at info[at]chickswithpicks.net!

We are getting ready to head off to Indian Creek this week with our first Chicks Rock! all crack climbing clinic! Since we will be OFF the grid during the clinic, we will not have a gossip report next week (the sacrifices we must make for climbing !) but will do our best to catch up that second Monday in May along with some reports from the Creek!!!!!!!!

If you didn’t catch the blog last week, check out my trip report from my second ice climbing foray to Canada this season, which a bout of cellulitis tried to take down (unsuccessfully!) otherwise known as “How I came to have a zombie leg in Canada”. Check it out here.

We also posted a blog about the Head Chick’s upcoming Passion & Potential retreat which is part of her Mind over Mountains program. All the details on this great event can be found here.

We had a wonderful new contribution to our Chicks Chat section this week, Kerry from North Carolina has just discovered climbing and shares her story here.  Check out what else is going on in our “Chicks Chat” section of the website and get in on the discussion!

Also, don’t forget to check us out on Pinterest, where we are archiving many of the cool articles we link to. But be warned, it’s a total time suck! If you are on it too, hit us up with your link so we can follow all of our fellow climber Chicks! You can find us here: http://pinterest.com/chicksclimbing/

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!

Climbing
- Cool video of Alizée Dufraisse getting SO close to linking La Rambla (5.15a)  http://vimeo.com/40396466
- Austrian Johanna Ernst does the FFA of 5.14c Open Your Mind in Santa Linya, Spain. http://ow.ly/aoRU7
- Nice post from Alli Rainey (@allirainey) who keeps plugging away on a route she never thought she could do and is really nearing a send: http://ht.ly/as9wK
- Brittany Griffith, a Patagonia (@Patagonia) ambassador, writes about her recent slab climbing in Spain: http://ht.ly/ao37a
-  Kate Rutherford at it again. New route, Astrochoss, in Patagonia. http://ow.ly/aoRZA
- Do you love to ice climb as much as these guys? Two Newfoundland iceclimbers swim out to icebergs to climb them: http://natpo.st/HT6GnW
- Making the transition from winter to spring – in sport and the mental game! New blog from Christa (@ClimbingBetty): http://ht.ly/as98H
- Look! It’s our web developers from Visual Adventures (@visualadventure) celebrating their anniversary in this @ORGEAR Classic: Castleton Tower & the Rectory http://ht.ly/ajd6C
- Matilda Söderlund onsights to 5.13ds including Pati pa mi on recent trip to Spain. http://ow.ly/aoS3K
-  Alex Honnold free solos 700-foot Fiesta del Biceps (5.11d) of Riglos, Spain: http://ht.ly/ajRma
- Part two in a fantastic series: An Outing with Donini: Porch Angles (Part Two)  http://bit.ly/HPDBNK by Kelly Cordes (@kcordes)
- “I just wanted to impress you…” A hilarious post from Andrew Bisharat of Evening Sends (@EveningSends): The Best Wobbler I Ever Saw - http://bit.ly/HY0jRS
- After recovering from a bout of tendonitis Marmot (@marmotpro) athlete Paige Claassen gets back at it: http://ht.ly/an0Yx
- Climber Majka Burhardt (@majkaburhardt) kicks off her spring break with a trip to climb in Red Rock: http://bit.ly/HHNVE7
- New interview with climber Sasha DiGiulian (@sashadigiulian): http://bit.ly/I7uIiA
- The Cactus Connection: Blake Herrington & Chris Weidner put up new route in Red Rock. http://bit.ly/JFQA16
-  Jason Kehl on Ashima Shiraishi’s time in Hueco Tanks: http://bit.ly/J5QtSs
- Adam Ondra: “I certainly can’t state that I can do all 8c’s on-sight. In general though…” http://fb.me/A433xgXw
- Extremely thorough intro to ice climbing from AAI’s (@AlpineInstitute) Mike Pond: http://ht.ly/ajTUk
- If you didn’t see this last week you missed some badass climbing from an awesome Chick: http://bit.ly/HRvBYm
- Nice write-up from Rock and Ice (@RockandIce) of the inspiring Arlene Blum’s induction into the Hall of Mountaineering Excellence: http://bit.ly/HFOzmP
- Gif of Rock Climber Life (@rockclimberlife) says the best book you can get for learning how to placing gear & building anchors is Rock Climbing Anchors: A Comprehensive Guide http://ht.ly/ao2v3
- The Enormocast keeps putting out the goods, this time an interview with Sam Lightner, Jr. http://fb.me/1V07tNK75
- Amazing speakers & alpine adventures galore at the Women’s Leadership & Adventure Summit – http://ow.ly/agLdE
- This past Friday Jeline of Climb On, Sister! (@ClimbOnSister) has a feature on Jessica, a new-to-climbing gal who is already full-on addicted  http://bit.ly/IDRa0A

News
- The AAC (@AmericanAlpine) April newsletter came out last week, and has lots of cool climbing opportunities in it!  http://ht.ly/al6hq
- What’s your take? Adidas partners with gyms and generally continues to cozy up to climbers:  http://owl.li/ajoFZ
- Best of the week from Gear Whores: http://ow.ly/apqJQ
- This week’s outdoor & climbing news from AAI (@AlpineInstitute) http://tinyurl.com/cghub6u
- Everest Guide Dies After 15-Story Fall Into Ice Chasm http://on.natgeo.com/HSCESA

Training & Nutrition
- Want stronger fingers for climbing? Here’s how to train to get them:  http://is.gd/cF295K
- Yoga for Climbers: http://ht.ly/aldfO
- The importance & right way to warm up for climbing from Splitter Choss (@splitterchoss): http://www.splitterchoss.com/2012/04/19/warm-up-shmorm-up/
-  Tali of Cupcake Mafia reviews her namesake piece that is good for any woman – whether pregnant or not – the Mountain Mama (@MtMamaMaternity) Tali Wrap: http://ow.ly/apA75

Gear
- Stellar post from Black Diamond (@BlackDiamondUSA) QC lab on the potential lifespan of your crampons http://ht.ly/aji98
- Totally love the Patagonia (@patagonia) simple guide pants & so does Jill (@Geargals) in her latest review: http://ht.ly/ajeLg

Trip Reports
- Jeline from Climb On, Sister! (@ClimbOnSister) writes about her 6-day trip to Hueco where her appetite to climb was still not satiated! http://ht.ly/ajdNO
- Gif of Rock Climber Life (@rockclimberlife) writes about his 3-day climb fest at the Red over Easter: http://ht.ly/ajiR2
- Jillian (@JillianLaura) takes her first outdoor bouldering trip in Pawtuckaway & learns a lot for her next outing:  http://ht.ly/akPCU
- Some sweet photos of Dreaming in Vertical’s (@dreaminvertical) Thanksgiving-day run in Bishop: http://bit.ly/J5kXmF
- New trip report from Vanessa (@vanizzle17) from this winter’s ice climbing trip in Canmore/Banff:  http://ht.ly/akR1u
- Trip report and photos from Katie’s (@themorningfresh) climbing adventures to Little River Canyon in Alabama. http://wp.me/pUBYV-Mg
- Fun first-time Red Rock trip for Dude’s with Tents (@DudesWithTents): http://ht.ly/anVrx
- Ever heard of Kolob? Maybe not, but you may very well want to go there to climb after checking out this blog: http://livestellar.blogspot.com/

Inspiration
- In our experience, you are far tougher than you think you are. New from Brendan (@semi_rad): ”How Tough Are You?” http://bit.ly/HStgSH

Fun Stuff
- It’s official – you can now buy Semi-Rad T-shirts!  http://ow.ly/ajrfA
- Take your Kids Rock Climbing! http://goo.gl/mnbfR
- Get ready to laugh at the camera trickery and absurdity as Bear Grylls “climbing” in Moab:  http://ht.ly/aoqPu
- Funniest (and saddest) ice climbing trip report of the season. http://ht.ly/apwre

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!

Claim your life purpose at our Mind over Mountains Passion & Potential Retreat!

 What drives you? What inspires you? What lifts your spirit and makes it soar? What holds you back? To explore some of these alluring questions, join us at our Mind Over Mountains Passion and Potential women’s retreat in the Colorado Rockies of Ridgway June 14-18. Here, we will give you the opportunity to explore your unique gifts and talents with a small group of women in an inspiring setting.

This is for those of you who want to push yourselves and learn more about your personal limits. We will spend the days in the mountains rock climbing, peak climbing and hiking, giving you insights into your physical and mental strengths. We will also discuss what it is that holds you back and creates barriers in your life. If it’s confidence you lack, take time to tap into your authentic and true self, learn to listen to your heart and follow your dreams!

We will combine group initiatives, discussions, outdoor activities and spa treatments to give you a distinctive blend of stimuli and quiet time to foster personal exploration. This high-end retreat is the perfect combination of adventure and indulgence. Expect to impress yourself, laugh at yourself and even surprise yourself at this life changing women’s retreat.

Our transformational retreats combine yoga, workshops, Life Coaching, hiking, moderate rock climbing, spa services, healthy meals, cozy lodging and thought provoking discussions. Women love the experience and leave feeling changed & inspired. Two free life coaching sessions follow the retreat to keep the experience alive. Treat yourself to a truly unique adventure.

Limited space is available and you must apply before June 1, 2012. Feel free to email with your questions. Read more: http://www.mindovermountains.com/retpassion.htm
CUT OFF FOR ENROLLMENT IS JUNE 1ST.

You might also enjoy my Life Coaching blog: http://kimreynoldslifecoach.com/
You can learn more about me and what I bring to the program: http://kimreynoldslifecoach.com/about/

So psyched to be climbing in Canada!

The first day out we went with Sarah to Moonlight, which was in full-on sun the whole time we were climbing – it was not cold. As a result, the ice was definitely plastic-y, which I was more comfortable with thanks to all of my Ice Park climbing, but made it a bit more work for Ryan to get his tools out after every bomber swing he was sinking. The first pitch of Moonlight was long and steeper than it looked from the base, but it was a good exercise in how to climb relaxed. Despite the fact that I was on top rope during the middle of the pitch I started feeling anxious. I’m not sure what it was about though…maybe thoughts of leading for the next two days started filtering through my mind. As I got to the TINY (and very wet) ice cave with Sarah I confessed my anxiety and she helped get my mind in check by telling me to just focus on the climbing I was doing TODAY, which was just what I needed.

Sarah leading pitch 1 of Moonlight

Leaving the ice cave for the second pitch felt weird, or maybe it was just awkward I suppose!  I was glad I wasn’t doing it on lead – first Sar thought she’d go right, but ended up going left, all the while getting soaked from the melting ice. This pitch I saw not one move of her climbing and just heard her talking about CrossFit and thrusters until she got too high and out of ear-shot range. A CrossFit WOD a few days prior had left her with some residual soreness, which I could appreciate ! Thankfully, pitches two and three seemed a lot easier – perhaps because I was more relaxed – and we topped out and rappelled down to a team of two ready to hop on the climb. I took the opportunity with Sarah to make sure my EDK skills were good to go since I was going to be the team leader for the next two days.

Making my way into the teeny, tiny ice cave. Photo by Sarah Hueniken.

That night in the shower I noticed a “bug bite” I’d had for a few days on my left calf was really getting red and swollen – I was sure I’d been bitten by some poisonous spider here in the south before I left. Ryan assured me it was nothing. However, that night it began absolutely throbbing with pain – even the sheet touching it in bed felt excruciating. It hurt to bear weight on that foot and sitting down with a bent knee put a tremendous amount of pressure on the quickly swelling red area! By Thursday morning when Ryan woke up (since I’d been awake) he realized there was definitely something wrong. Some phone calls for insurance checks back home led us to the ER where it was diagnosed as Cellulitis – a staph infection. Sweet. I got a prescription for some antibiotics but didn’t want the day to be a total wash, so we decided to head up to Grotto, which was a super easy climb in February, and one that I was sure would not be too taxing on my zombie leg.

Creepy snowman spotted on Lake Louise after we climbed Grotto and before we ate some AMAZING nachos!

The creek was definitely really wet, and we actually saw a few sport climbers out thanks to the nice temperatures. “His” was totally out, and I don’t think anyone would be trying to send “Hers” anymore this season. We had Grotto all to ourselves. The second pitch was in full-on sun but since the bottom ice still felt pretty good, we decided to give it a go. I led up to the chains with no problems, where it was almost blinding thanks to the sun on the second pitch. Ryan came up and I headed out on the second pitch where – about halfway up – I started feeling like I was climbing a snow cone. I placed screws despite feeling that they wouldn’t probably hold a fall, and really took my time testing each tool placement to make sure it wouldn’t “slush” out when I weighted it. Luckily everything went fine – Ryan coming up confirmed my feeling that this climb was probably on the last days of being in, as he commented on how quickly the screws had melted out by the time he removed them. Two quick rappels down to the base and my zombie leg, which had shut up while climbing, began complaining loudly, as I gimped back to the car.

Zombie leg!

Friday morning the swelling on my zombie leg had more than doubled from the day before. I started wondering if my antibiotics were even working! It was pretty painful and difficult to straighten. However, I didn’t want to waste a day, and so we headed out to climb Chantilly, which has an hour-long mellow approach that got my leg warmed up and ready to climb. It had snowed several inches the night before so half the work of climbing Chantilly was clearing snow to swing tools. It was a very different ‘feeling’ climb than the last time I went up, thanks largely to the drastic change in temperature (first time it was -21 C, this time it was probably between 2-4 C). I also led this climb in two pitches, something we had not done in February (as we were working on our anchor-building skills and such) so it was fun for me to try and figure out where the best belay stations were, based on which line I wanted to climb. I was psyched that the climb FELT so much better than it had in February – it made me feel like I was definitely making positive progress.

Here we are at the top of Chantilly!

Saturday & Sunday we were psyched to climb some classics with Jen Olson, who was just at the end of her recovery from a broken back this January. She was feeling strong and healthy, which was fantastic! By Saturday morning the swelling and redness of my zombie leg still hadn’t decreased, but it wasn’t as painful so I began feeling like it actually *was* getting better. We drove out to Field to climb Guinness Gully. We met up with Sarah and her client who headed up just ahead of us. There were about five pitches of climbing, and an equal number of snow walks in between. I got the opportunity to lead a short pitch towards the top (as well as some snow walks), which I was totally psyched about, of course! It is always fun to do so under the watch of a guide who can offer guidance and tips on how to be more efficient. A long series of rappels led to a steep down climb which was when the zombie leg really started to hurt again, so really it was great timing!

Placing my first screw on Guinness Gully lead. Photo by Jen Olson.

Sunday we had big plans to head into the Ghost. Ryan had never been and Sar and her client were also heading in so we’d have a team to help us out if things went sideways, and vice versa. As we went into the Ghost we made it past vehicle crux No. 1, then No. 2, and No. 3. It was looking good! We were fairly close to hitting up Beowulf when Sar & Stefan’s vehicle got stuck. And I mean STUCK. We spent several hours digging, pushing, pushing and digging until we finally got it turned around and out of the snow. At this point we needed a shorter objective since all five of us wouldn’t get up Beowulf and out at a reasonable hour, so we headed to the south Ghost to climb Wicked Wanda.

It's not a real Ghost experience without getting stuck - right? Photo by Jen Olson.

If you’ve never seen Wicked Wanda it is a sight to behold! It has just a wildly crazy formation of ice at the top that looks ridiculously overhanging from the bottom. We still didn’t have a ton of time so Jen & Ryan wasted no time getting up pitch one so she could lead up pitches two and three, tying a rope together so we could all climb it on top rope, rather than multi-pitching it which we simply didn’t have time for. While they did that I led up pitch 1 and brought up Stefan, then watched Jen beautifully lead what is pitch three of Wicked Wanda – very difficult to protect because of all the features, but a super-fun climb once you are in them. We were each given a ‘time limit’ of sorts to do this climb so we’d get out at a reasonable time, and unbeknownst to me I totally blew past that. I climbed up the steep center of the first pitch and rather than fight the pull of the rope by traversing to the (easier) left side, decided to climb up some crazy mushrooms. These were not like Ice Park mushrooms though – they were absolutely hollow! It was a good learning point for me, as I ended up going way far right (and simply fighting the rope in the other direction) to go left again. I wonder how much climbing left and right I did just to move up. Sometimes it just happens!

Leading up pitch 1 of Wicked Wanda on some junk ice. Photo by Sarah Hueniken.

Oh yeah, Wicked Wanda!

Finally I got to the fun stuff – tons of wild features inside the top pitch of Wicked Wanda before you make an exit from a feature as similar to an ice cave as you can get, and climb up a short steep section to the very top. I cannot describe in words just how fun this pitch was, and what an AMAZING end it was to the awesome ice climbing season for me. Psyched doesn’t even begin to describe it!

In the heart of the fun stuff on Wicked Wanda. Photo by Jen Olson.

After we got home I realized my zombie leg had started draining fluid that day, so I was relieved it was my last day in those pants

All in all, I don’t know if I will ever have as fun of an ice season as I did this year. I really wanted to focus on the mind game – which I did especially during “The Complete” at Chicks this year under the guise of Kitty – and it resulted in SO much growth. I am really excited to see what next year brings! Now, if only I can keep up the mental mind game on rock as well, Indian Creek is just over a week away (eeeeekkk!!!!)

Thanks to Sarah & Jen for making it such a fun & productive trip! Ryan and I are looking forward to heading to the Bugaboos this summer with Jen for some high alpine granite climbing!

The amazing & fun Sarah and Jen!

Oh, and that old zombie leg – well it has almost completely healed! I was lucky it didn’t really hinder the trip at all, other than making me slower than normal on approaches, which I’ve never been particularly speedy at.

Maijaliisa Burkert is the Marketing & Social Media Chick for Chicks Climbing. Learn more about her work at High Altitude Media here.

Red Rock instruction; photo by Dawn Glanc

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 ready to head off to Indian Creek next week, but the good news is we still have a couple of spaces available for any female climber who can follow a 5.9 on top rope! This three-day clinic focuses on intensive crack climbing April 27-30, with an optional multi-pitch day May 1. Check out all the details here, and contact us ASAP if you want to sign up!

Last week we posted a video found online of a couples’ spat while climbing and asked if any of you climbers have ever had a bit of a meltdown with your significant other climbing partner. (I, the social media Chick have done this while cragging with my husband and only when there is no-one else around – guilty!) Apparently I am not alone, check out the comments section and see how Climbing Betty took one meltdown and made it an opportunity to make a “safe word” to prevent future problems – a great idea! Check it out here.

Have you checked out “Chicks Chat” section of the website yet? We are trying to keep our Chicks connected, so jump on and say hello!

Also, don’t forget to check us out on Pinterest, where we are archiving many of the cool articles we link to. But be warned, it’s a total time suck! If you are on it too, hit us up with your link so we can follow all of our fellow climber Chicks! You can find us here: http://pinterest.com/chicksclimbing/

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!

Climbing
- Really well-written essay by Thomasina Pidgeon on women climbers, competitiveness & FAs. MUST READ! http://ht.ly/agLkT
- Holy BADASS. Silvia Vidal spent 32 days alone on a wall remote in Patagonia, putting up “Espiadimonis”:  http://bit.ly/HE91oW
- More details from the Alpinist (@AlpinistMag) on Silvia Vidal’s 32 days solo on the wall putting up Espiadimonis in Patagonia: http://ht.ly/agGuV
- Badass Chick alert as it ‘tis the season for climbing—no, onsighting in Spain. http://ht.ly/abgfV
- So rad! Like mother like daughter–Brooke & Robin sending 5.14a’s in the Red http://ow.ly/ai2Lf
- Is Japanese teen Toru Nakahima the next big name in the climbing world? http://ht.ly/abc4l
- Great post by Steph Davis (@highsteph) on the best way to approach overhanging rattly finger cracks: http://ht.ly/abLuF
- Some fantastic bouldering work done by Alex Puccio at Hueco: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=hj1VnQimB-U
- Words of wisdom from Girly Guide Mattie Sheafor on what it is to climb and the inherent risk. http://bit.ly/HDDAcm
- Excellent article on climbing in the dark beauty (void) of the Black Canyon by Outdoor Research’s (@ORGear) Madaleine Sorkin http://ht.ly/af7Oh
- SICK Tim Emmett ice climbing video! http://bit.ly/HHDHqs
-  An interview with Sweden’s Matilda Sonderlund, 19, who recently onsighted two 13c’s in one day. http://fb.me/1kbEXHzdN
- Good advice from Alli Rainey (@allirainey) on how to protect and repair climbing skin: http://ht.ly/a9ZaN
-  Highlight reel of the SCS Nationals: http://fb.me/1KzVlE3nU
- Michael Kennedy from the Alpinist (@AlpinistMag) writes a letter to son Hayden  http://ht.ly/abnSb addressing Cerro Torre. Very touching!
-  Fun new post from Justin (@thestonemind) - The 36 Chambers: Climbing Lessons from a Kung-Fu Classic http://ht.ly/abcv1
- Best climbing quote of the day: “I go all Brokeback when it comes to climbing, I just can’t quit you. “http://ht.ly/abh3o
- An excellent knot to know well, via the AAI (@alpineinstitute): The Bowline: http://tinyurl.com/7lamd98
- Possible V15 in Spain? http://climbingnarc.com/videos/nacho-sanchez-on-the-fa-of-insomnio-v15/
- Rock Climbing is Stupid – Climbing rocks does sound kind of dumb, but it’s so much more than that! http://ht.ly/abJhu
- Do you ever climb in a gym? Here’s an “Ethics” post on the “Do’s and Don’ts of [indoor] Rock Climbing” http://bit.ly/Hsj7It
- Female Footage Fridays from Climb On, Sister! This one is for the trad girls, Jude Spanken on Lord of the Flies.  http://fb.me/1M6KFNQdm
- What has Liz Sansoz been up to these last few months? Not a lot of climbing but making a home, instead! http://ht.ly/abbHI
-  In Search of a Nemesis http://www.splitterchoss.com/2012/04/12/in-search-of-a-nemesis/
- Brilliant post from Nick Bullock: http://nickbullock-climber.co.uk/2012/04/10/conquering-by-scaling-the-biggest-baddest-hardest-for-the-first-time-today-by-the-youngest-oldest-bestest/ regarding the sensationalism of climbing in the media
- 2012 American Alpine Club / Alpine Club of Iran Women’s Climbing Program: http://owl.li/a5dKy - host climbers needed!
- Ridiculously quick & easy Rock & Ice (@Rockandice) survey that could win you some Omega Pacific cams: http://bit.ly/HCdB4K

News
- Exciting news for east coast climbers, the AAC (@americanalpine) is  moving forward with this New River Gorge campground! Thanks for the note! http://owl.li/aaw2G
- Want to say up to date with the weekly #climbchat even if you miss it online? Sign up for the newsletter! http://ht.ly/adAAt\
- Sasha DiGiulian (@SashaDiGiulian) helps raise money for breast cancer awareness by donating an autographed Adidas sports bra: http://bit.ly/IE4Egn
- All the latest news in the world of climbing and outdoors from AAI (@AlpineInstitute):  http://ht.ly/aeOSh
- Important WA climb access update: Gold Bar Boulders access requirements updated. http://ow.ly/agUPe
-  Ladies! Check out this very cool first ever Peaks Foundation (@PeaksFoundation) Women’s leadership & adventure summit in Chamonix! http://ow.ly/agL20

Training & Nutrition
- Climbing shoulder exercises for more climbing days and preventing injury.  http://fb.me/1oNXhORCY
- A good read: nutrition for climbers:  http://fb.me/1ldwnaZPu

Gear
- The Petzl Elia helmet got a 5-star review in an Alpinist review (@AlpinistMag): http://ht.ly/abI7N how many of you chicks rock this while climbing?
- Check out our latest review on Upa Downa, this one is on the Mad Rock R3 crash pad. Climbing dirtbags rejoice!!! http://fb.me/1mQoB1Qdf
- Gear review of the Outdoor Research (@ORGEAR) Women’s Chaos jacket, a good piece for a  climbing system: http://ht.ly/acYAQ
- New Adidas (@Adidas) Terrex Solo Approach Shoe gets a good review from Climberism Magazine (@climberism): http://bit.ly/HxPrgq
- New gear review from Outdoor Gear Lab (@outdoorgearlab) of the La Sportiva (@Sportiva) Spantik mountaineering boot with interesting lacing system!http://www.outdoorgearlab.com/Mountaineering-Boot-Reviews/La-Sportiva-Spantik
- This is why I love Patagonia (@patagonia) – Patagonia Clothing: Made Where? How? Why? http://www.thecleanestline.com/2012/04/patagonia-clothing-made-where-how-why.html
- Let’s Bring Back Repair http://bit.ly/HMOj7A by Annie Leonard
- The Blank Slate training board looks pretty sweet, and Amy (@thegearcaster) has been working out on it! http://bit.ly/HIgJOf

Trip Reports
- New from Whitney (@Whitneyio) -reflecting on Thailand: The Imperfect Art of Travel. http://wp.me/p15yUq-rT
- Joshua Tree trip report from Chicks alumna Elizabeth (@eliz_rocks): http://ht.ly/abJ5X
- New trip report from Erica (@cragmama) on her latest venture to the New: http://ht.ly/acZ0e
- Beth Rodden finds her happy place in Vegas at the Red Rock Rendezvous: http://ht.ly/adBJK
- Nina Caprez shares photos from a climbing trip to Argentina where she was putting up lines for the next Petzl (@Petzl) Roc Trip this fall: http://ht.ly/adCYG
- A nice recap of the Red Rock Rendezvous from AAI (@AlpineInstitute): http://ht.ly/agGZe
- Great write up from Patagonia ambassador Brittany Griffith on the climbing in Riglos, Spain: http://ht.ly/agJvw

Inspiration
- Another insightful read from Alli Rainey (@allirainey) on her changed relationship (and perspective) towards climbing:  http://allirainey.com/home/2012/04/12/a-changed-relationship/
- Interesting blog by Massimo (@MassimoAlp) on climbing & notions of masculinity:http://edgingtowardeverest.com/2012/04/11/mountaineering-masculinity-and-imperial-ideology/

Fun Stuff
- Get your day started with a SMILE which you will have after reading the latest from Brendan (@semi_rad) on dirtbag dating:  http://ht.ly/aexKD
- How life in the mountains climbing and skiing prepared Caroline George’s husband, Adam, for fatherhood: http://bit.ly/HE0BBo
- Hilarious & new from Gear Whores (@gearwhores): You might be a GearWhore if…http://ow.ly/af509 (The list to end all lists.)
- Another fun one from Andrew (@eveningsends): No Respect http://eveningsends.com/2012/04/no-respect/

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!