Girly Guides
Beauty, charm, wit, social grace, and the grit of rusty nails … we think hanging out with any one of these gals is an opportunity NOT to be missed! Click on any photo to read more about these mistresses of the mountains...
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
Kathy Cosley
|
Anna Keeling
|
Kitty Calhoun
|
Sarah Hueniken
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
Carolyn Parker
|
Angela Hawse
|
Jen Grimes
|
Margo Talbot
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
Anne Skidmore
|
Kim Csizmazia
|
Amy Bullard
|
Caroline George
|
 |
|||
|
Dawn Glanc
|
Anne Skidmore
It all started for Anne back in 1985 when she was 6 years old. Hanging upside down from jungle gyms with high quality pavement below her in NYC parks soon became a regular past time. She finally discovered how to monkey around again when she became a freshman at the University of New Hampshire. While working on her degree in photography Anne pursued her passion for climbing by making trips to France, Yosemite, the south, and routinely climbed throughout New England. In 2003, Anne started ice climbing and she was addicted after her first swing. Additionally, she loves the art and challenge of how to stay warm in New England’s brutal weather. After completing her degree in photography Anne moved to North Conway, NH in 2003. There she
continues her craze for climbing, guiding for International Mountain School, and photography. back to top
Kathy Cosley
Kathy Cosley is an independent guide based in Bishop, California and along with her husband co-owns Cosley and Houston Alpine Guides. Shehas guided and taught climbing skills in the U.S. and worldwide for 19 years, including 13 with the American Alpine Institute. Over these years some of the more ill advised capers she has participated in have included Cerro Torre, the South Face of Aconcagua, the North Face of the Eiger, and the 1990 Makalu West Pillar expedition with Kitty Calhoun. Kathy has also been actively involved with the American Mountain Guides Association since 1986, participated in its training and certification programs, and has served on its Board of Directors for the past 5 years. Kathy has completed training and examination and become certified in all three of the guiding disciplines of Rock, Alpine and Ski Mountaineering, and is internationally certified as a UIAGM Mountain Guide. back to top
Anna Keeling
A New Zealander living in Utah, Anna Keeling is an internationally certified UIAGM mountain guide. From ski racing and sailing teenage years, Anna moved into endurance sports (now known as adventure racing) in her early 20’s while a student. She won many NZ long distance kayak-cycle-run-ski races, including the inaugural Raid Gauloises Adventure Race in 1989. Anna has also worked on and raced in three Eco Challenges. She is still competing at an international level. Endurance sports led naturally to mountaineering and rock climbing. Mountain and ski guiding and climbing have taken Anna all over the world but she finds herself most often in the NZ Alps, the Canadian Rockies, the Indian Himalaya and Alaska. She is a co-owner of Alala Women’s Mountain Adventures in the Canadian Rockies. Anna completed a degree in Parks and Recreation Management in 1990 and quit her masters degree in 1991 after a fit of realisation that she wanted to be outside full time. She can also be found painting the mountains, desert and ocean. back to top
Kitty Calhoun
Kitty Calhoun grew up in S.C. and began rock climbing in 1978. A year later, she took up ice climbing, while attending the University of Vermont. She became a rock instructor for Outward Bound in 1981 and a guide for the American Alpine Institute from 1985 1990. She guided in Peru, Bolivia, Alaska, Argentina, and Nepal. Among her personal ascents include the Cassin on Denali, the second ascent of the Bouchard route on Chacraraju, the first American female ascent of Dhaulagiri, the first female ascent of Makalu, two new Grade VI wall routes in Kyrkygzstan, a new Grade VI wall route on Middle Triple Peak in Alaska, four routes on El Cap (all with women), and most recently, an ascent of the rarely-formed Diamond Couloir on Mt.Kenya. Kitty earned an MBA from the University of Washington in 1993 and became a mom in 1995. She is an ambassador with Patagonia and lives in Castle Valley, UT. Her interests, besides climbing, include storytelling, coaching, and learning about nutrition and training.back to top
Carolyn Parker
Carolyn grew up in Los Alamos, New Mexico, and took advantage of opportunities to explore the wilderness in her backyard. In doing so she became a skier, a climber, a cyclist, a mountain biker and a mountain lover,—all the while hopefully developing an understanding for what truly matters. At 23, after receiving a degree in English Literature, she finally chose the mountain path; and has been climbing, guiding, teaching and training full-time for more than a decade. In that time, Carolyn has led women’s mountain biking clinics, telemark ski clinics, owned a climbing shoe resoling company, and a guide service, run ultra-marathons, participated in quadrathlons, done first ascents, raced mountain bikes, and designed and created climbing clothing. As a guide for the last eight years she have traveled to the Canadian Rockies, the big walls of Yosemite, the Ice of Colorado’s San Juan Mountain, the Red Rocks of Nevada, Utah’s desert towers, the Andes, the Himalayas, and the Alps. back to top
Angela Hawse
Angela is one of the most experienced women guides in the country with over 20 years leading adventures in the vertical realm. She is an AMGA Certified Rock Guide, Himalayan Alpinist and Sponsored Athlete. She is versed in all disciplines of climbing and has led over 20 high altitude expeditions, including five on Denali. She has ascents throughout Asia, South America, Canada and the U.S. and in addition to Chicks with Picks, guides for Women that Rock, Chicks on Cracks, Exum Mountain Guides and Mountain Madness. She is passionate about teaching and sharing her enthusiasm for the outdoors. Angela has a long history of making good things happen through the service work she combines with her endeavors. In 1998, she was deputy leader of the successful First Disabled Ascent of Mt. Everest and reached the South Summit at 28,875’. Her efforts on the expedition included organizing a major clean-up high on the mountain and facilitating a semester long service program for 5 college students in the Khumbu Valley. A year later, she led an expedition on Aconcagua, which removed over 1000 kg of garbage from above 19,000’. In 2003, she led a successful all-women’s expedition to Ama Dablam, 22,454’, with two other CWP guides. The group of nine, mostly CWP alumni called themselves the mAmas Dablam, raised $23,000 for the dZi Foundation and climbed the highly technical southwest ridge without Sherpa support. Their fundraising efforts helped start a safe house for young girls in Sikkim. Angela has also trained women guides in Nepal and worked to protect the Mountain Porter. In 2001, she earned a Master’s Degree in International Mountain Conservation for her work. Angela is also Motivational Speaker and serves as a Director for the American Mountain Guides Association. Her home is outside of Ouray, in Ridgway, Colorado. back to top
Jen Stewart-Grimes
Jen Grimes started climbing 13 years ago during college while studying geology and studio arts. She went on to teach climbing while attending the University of Minnesota in Duluth graduate school for geology. Ice climbing began as a way for her to combat the dreary winters of northern Minnesota. Surprisingly, Minnesota ice climbing provided varied, albeit short climbing, making for an excellent learning ground. After realizing that a career in geology was not for her, Jen became involved in the Outdoor Industry. Now, most of her time is spent, literally, living in a truck with her husband and two dogs. The Midwest is the territory where they work as independent sales representatives selling climbing gear and clothing. In 1997 Jen got invited to join the competitors at the Ouray Ice fest and won first place, and she has participated in the climbing exhibitions there ever since. Jen was also a participant in the 1998 X-games and came away with a bronze medal. Teaching women is a priority for Jen and this year she is participating in multiple Ice Fests, in order to share her skills with women in the Midwest. Jen also has secret passions for knitting, chocolate and good books. Ok, maybe the chocolate part isn’t so secret. back to top
Margo’s love affair with the mountains began 22 years ago when she discovered the Canadian Rockies. Having preferred winter sports since childhood she naturally gravitated towards ice climbing and ski mountaineering. Her love of ice has taken her to the high Arctic as well as Antarctica, where she has guided several expeditions to the South Pole and the Vinson Massif. She is the co-founder of Glitter Girls, a women-based adventure program. Margo is an Outdoor Research sponsored Athlete who lives in Vancouver, British Columbia, her current platform for international guiding and adventure. back to top
Kim started climbing ten years ago after completing an English/Skiing degree at the University of Utah. With a minor in Ski Bumming, Kim took to the climbing lifestyle well and she has been climbing full time ever since. While she considers herself to be a climbing generalist her most significant accomplishments have been in ice climbing. She was the first woman to consistently lead Water Ice (WI) 6 and the first woman to climb the modern mixed grade of M10. Kim has also dominated the competition scene in ice climbing with three X-Game Gold medals, two first places in the Ouray Ice Climbing Exhibition and winning the first ever Ice climbing World Cup in 2000. Kim lives in Canmore AB, Canada where she spends most of her time climbing. back to top
Amy Bullard
Amy Bullard was introduced to climbing and skiing nearly 20 years ago. She has been a guide for 10 years in the Tetons, Wind Rivers, Cascades, Olympics, Wrangells, Wasatch, Smith Rock, Red Rocks, Joshua Tree, New Hampshire, France, Nepal and Tibet. She loves guiding as much as exploring new routes on big mountains. New routes in Peru include Artesonraju, Millishraju, Jatunriti, and Colquecruz. First ascent of Dos Cuernos Southern Patagonian Icecap, Argentina. Numerous expeditions to the Himalaya include Mustagh Tower in Pakistan, first ascent Melanphulan in Nepal, unclimbed peaks Hongu Nepal. In 1999 she led the first unsupported American Women’s expedition to an 8,000 meter peak- Cho Oyu in Tibet, and she summitted Everest in 2004 working as a guide and climbing double for Universal Studios. Sometimes she enjoys big walls in Yosemite and Zion. She guides for Exum, Chicks with Picks, Women that Rock, and Snowbird Expeditions and is a Marmot endorsed athlete. Her favorite part about going on mountain adventures is the people she gets to share them with. back to top
Sarah Hueniken is a ACMG Assistant Alpine and Rock Guide living in Canmore Alberta. She has been instructing climbing throughout the US and Canada for the past 11 years. After completing a degree in Outdoor Recreation Parks and Tourism, climbing took over her life as she traveled and worked for various OB schools, NOLS, St Lawrence University, Alala Women’s Mountain Adventures and Yamnuska Mountain Adventures. Whether it’s rock, ice or alpine, sharing an exciting adventure with a good friend in the mountains is what climbing is all about… and maybe even learning a little something about yourself on the way! When not in the mountains Sarah can be found in one of Canmore’s many coffee shops, out walking someone’s dog, or hanging off the walls of the local climbing gym. back to top
Caroline George
Caroline was born in Switzerland 30 years ago amongst the big mountains of the Alps where her passion for mountain climbing started at age 18. For three years, she traveled the world competing in World Cups Ice Climbing Competitions. Meanwhile, Caroline was also in law school and after graduating she devoted her life to the mountains, focusing on the big alpine north faces. In 2003 she became the first American woman to climb the north faces of the Eiger , Matterhorn (in winter) and the Walker Spur on Grandes Jorasses in only three months. In 2005 she came to the United States and worked as a mountain guide for Exum in Salt Lake and for the Colorado Mountain School in Boulder Colorado . When Caroline first came to the Rockies, she climbed five major ice climbs in a day, the most ever done by a woman. Here, she met her husband and was married six months later. She spend her honeymoon in Patagonia and upon returning to the states, place third in the Ouray Festival. She now resides in Ouray Colorado and her passion and the serenity of the mountains is what powers her life.
Dawn Glanc
Dawn Glanc was born and raised in Brunswick Ohio. After high school, Dawn realized Ohio was not the place for her. In 1996, she moved to the Black Hills of South Dakota to pursue an Outdoor Education degree from Black Hills State University and to experience the outdoors. It was in the Black Hills that Dawn started to climb both rock and ice. After spending 8 years in the hills, Dawn craved bigger mountains, and in 2004, she moved to Bellingham WA to begin a full time guiding position with the American Alpine Institute. Dawn has averaged more than 200 days of climbing and guiding each year since then. Climbing and guiding has taken her to mountains in the Northern Cascades, Eastern Sierras, the French Alps, the Fairweather Range and the Alaska Range, as well as Squamish and Bugaboos Provincial Park in Canada. Dawn is pursuing the American Mountain Guide Association certifications. She completed both her Rock Guide certification and the Alpine Aspirant in 2008. Dawn lives in Ouray each winter to be close to her ice climbing passion; since living in Ouray, she has begun mixed climbing, and this learning curve went quickly. Dawn’s latest accomplishments include winning first place at the 2009 Ouray ice festival.
