Margaret G. rocking "Stone Free" in the Scottish Gullies during the Chicks Complete, 2012.

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. It is almost time to ROCK! We will kick off the start to rock season this week at Red Rock! We are so psyched for the great group of Chicks we’ve got coming out to climb hard. Then, we have a VERY special treat for our Chicks alumnae – an Indian Creek Alumnae Invitational which includes three days of intensive crack climbing clinics April 27-30, with an optional multi-pitch day May 1. Hurry to sign up for this one though, space is very limited!

The “Chicks Chat” section of the website is starting to get some more posts, so make sure you check it out to potentially find a climbing partner, a cool opportunity to climb with women at a festival, or look for some beta of your own here.  We are hoping some of our Chicks can help out Climbing Betty, who’s looking to up her mental game and start leading some harder routes. What advice do you have for her? http://ht.ly/9BVb2

Last week on the blog we profiled two Patagonia soft shells designed for climbing. Check out the write-up on the Northwall and the Knifeblade and see where you can get them right now for 50% off (this deal won’t last long!).

We also posted a trip report from the Social Media Chick (that’s me, writing about myself in the third person ) from her time up in Canada at Sarah Hueniken’s “Next Step Ice and Mixed” climbing camp. If you missed it, you can check it out here.

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, short video of Dawn Glanc in the Teva Winter Games Mixed Climbing competition:  http://ht.ly/9CSsL
- Some great mental & attitude tips to prepare you for a great rock climbing season: http://ht.ly/9EC9J
- Great article – Clean Ice rappels, aka “No Threads” http://ht.ly/9Ekem
- GREAT interview with Alex Johnson on what it means to be a pro climber and how she takes that responsibility seriously: http://ht.ly/9CQqS
- Sasha DiGiulian (@sashadigiulian) is projecting a 5.15a route “La Rambla” and she’s got a few weeks left to work on it: http://ht.ly/9BTpm
- From Spain, Sasha DiGiulian checks in to talk about her latest projects:  http://ht.ly/9CMyZ
- Wow, Regan Kennedy has been busy doing some pebble wrestling! Check out her latest report from the road: http://ht.ly/9DulY
- Nina Williams writes a trip report from the 2012 Hueco Rock Rodeo: http://ht.ly/9EJ9E
- Holy unreal, so hard to grasp the difficulty of new mixed route “Spray On…Top” a 230 meter, wildly overhanging route http://ht.ly/9CQXD
- Interesting testing from the Black Diamond (@BlackDiamondUSA) QC lab on how long your ice tool picks will last: http://ht.ly/9GlUt
- Great article on getting into the desert to crack climbing this spring from Splitter Choss (@splitterchoss): http://ht.ly/9ElDl
- A classic from Margo Talbot: Breaking picks to break through fear on a Canadian ice classic, Curtain Call http://bit.ly/y2ldtZ
- Climbers, please take & RT this helmet use survey. Help a grad student & earn a buck for the Access Fund (@accessfund): http://ht.ly/9HckS
- Read about Anna Pfaff’s new route in Columbia:  http://ow.ly/9HZH3

News
- This week’s climb, outdoor & ski news from AAI (@AlpineInstitute): http://ht.ly/9HdCI
- Parts of the Ouray Ice Park are closed for the season – keep up-to-date on what sections you can still #climb in here: http://bit.ly/wkuggW
- Women-only trips are on the rise: http://ow.ly/9EbI9
-  Best of luck to Sam Elias (@bookofsamuel) and Emily Harrington (@emilyaharringto) on the Big E this spring.http://www.neverstopexploring.com/blog/2012/03/mountaineer-conrad-anker-to-lead-spring-2012-expedition-to-mount-everest-with-support-of-national-ge.html
- Check in with the best of the week in the climbing world from Gear Whores (@GearWhores):  http://bit.ly/ypUSM8
- Lead roles up for grabs in climbing horror flick! http://ht.ly/9JO74

Training & Nutrition
- Here’s the follow-up to @Cragmama ’s PUSH training, here’s a series of exercises to help you stabilize those shoulders! http://ht.ly/9FLGD
- Great training tips from Melissa Arnot (@MelissaArnot) who’s getting ready for her fourth go at Everest: http://ht.ly/9He4o
- Is movement the key to happiness? It is right now for Krysia (@ventrsomekrysia) who is coming back from an ankle injury: http://ht.ly/9Dfht
- Gif of Rock Climber Life (@rockclimberlife) has come up with a pretty easy to set-up pulley system for hangboard workouts: http://ht.ly/9Irrm

Gear
- Check out Marmot (@marmotpro) on the runway in Aspen! http://ht.ly/9DsXj Must be a preview of next season’s color choices?!!?!!!
-  Can Rope End Indicators Make Climbing Any Safer? http://bit.ly/ygEZXt
- Great review of some Beyond Coastal (@BeyondCoastal) sunscreen products. They provide goodies to our Chicks and we LOVE their stuff! http://ht.ly/9FPXD
- Harness Alternatives: http://tinyurl.com/73w85gb
- Great guide for how to go about choosing the right climbing rope from Andrew Bisharat (@eveningsends): http://ht.ly/9HBVu

Trip Reports
- Here is Amy’s (@TheGearcaster) TR from ice climbing in the Canadian Rockies in Sarah Hueniken’s (Un)Ghost Camp: http://ht.ly/9HEbr

Inspiration
- I hope a video like this can happen for the North American women climbing pioneers: http://vimeo.com/23845154
- Some really neat ideas from Elizabeth (@eliz_rocks) to break through that nasty procrastination habit! http://bit.ly/w6Fq4o
-  Emily Harrington gets deep in her recent blog post…talking about life. http://fb.me/1S6otKgre
- So excited for the film being made about the Grande Dame of the Himalaya, Elizabeth Hawley:  http://bit.ly/AB6dB2
- Interesting question – why did we stop climbing trees? http://ht.ly/9IrRx

Fun Stuff
-  Couch crushers to widgeteers — what type of climber are you? http://owl.li/9Ephk-
- Cute climbing movie title game from Climb on Sister! (@climbonSister):  http://ht.ly/9Gkih
- How many climbing gyms have chalk balls in the vending machine like at Boulders (UK): http://bit.ly/FOe3jX
- How fun is this climbing harness tutu for Womens Wilderness Institutes Gear and Cheer auction that Tali (@cupcakemafia) made?!?! http://ow.ly/i/vW6j
- How sweet would climbing trips be with this van?!?!  http://ht.ly/9IrAC (At only around $87K!!!! )
- It’s always a great day when there’s a new Semi-Rad (@semi_rad) article to read! On loving your old car: http://ht.ly/9FRn4
- Climbing Wall House Makes You Earn A Relaxing Moment On Its Rooftop Patio  http://zite.to/xLJ7Na

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!

Kitty and Dawn have just returned from Iceland, where they were putting up first ascents. Nice work, ladies! Photo copyright Jay Smith.

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. It is almost time to ROCK! We will kick off the start to rock season with a return to our regular stomping ground of Red Rock, Nevada for a 3-day intensive clinic March 22 – 25, with an optional multi-pitch day: March 26^th. We only have a couple of spaces left in the Red Rock clinic, so if you want in please e-mail us ASAP at info[at]chickswithpicks.net!

Then, we have a VERY special treat for our Chicks alumnae – an Indian Creek Alumnae Invitational which includes three days of intensive crack climbing clinics April 27-30, with an optional multi-pitch day May 1. Hurry to sign up for this one though, space is very limited!

We have a few Chicks looking for climbing partners on the forums – Chicks alumna Jeanne looking to partner up at the Red Rock Rendezvous – and we’ve got another gal looking for a partner in the Stoney Point or Malibu Creek area. Check out their posts – along with some other partner searches (or start your own) here.  http://ht.ly/9u32H #climb

We posted a new blog last week about a cool new feature our Chicks with Picks sponsor, Patagonia has for you to use and figure out the optimal layering system to stay dry and comfortable in a variety of conditions while climbing. Learn more about the details here.

We also posted a gear review of the Marmot Flashpoint Hoody. Read all about why yours truly found this to be such a great piece here and why it’s now a part of my ice climbing system!

The “Chicks Chat” section of the website is starting to get some more posts, so make sure you check it out to potentially find a climbing partner, a cool opportunity to climb with women at a festival, or look for some beta of your own here.

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
- LOVE this kind of news!!! Women Crushing 5.14s in Spain: http://www.climbing.com/news/hotflashes/women_crushing_514s_in_spain/
- Sasha DiGiulian has a big weekend in Oliana & also sends the infamous “Mind Control” 5.14c:  http://ht.ly/9B9En
- Great video of Sterling Rope athlete Whitney Boland talking about how her doctor prescribed climbing for her inflammatory back condition: http://ht.ly/9tb3a
- Fun trip report from Lisa Rands wrapped up in a recipe for highball bouldering: http://ht.ly/9u844
- Another gal sends “Mind Control” the now infamous 5.14C in Oliana. Rock and Ice (@Rockandice) asks if it is *really* that hard? http://ht.ly/9uhXu
- Angie Payne continues to impress! Second place at the Hueco Rock Rodeo Competition http://vimeo.com/louderthan11/huecorockrodeo2012
- Whoa – some sick dry tooling on an incredible overhanging route http://ht.ly/9wXXK
- Love this video from Outdoor Research (@ORGEAR) at Hueco Tanks which shows the many falls that come before a send: http://ht.ly/9u0Ya
- Great recap of the Hueco Rock Rodeo from Rock and Ice (@Rockandice) http://ht.ly/9xMGz
- Have a goal of doing more onsighting? Tips from UK climbing sensation Alex Megos on how to get better at it: http://ht.ly/9yshn
- Thanks to Climb on, Sister! (@ClimbOnSister) for the great Female Footage Fridays feature from Boone, NC. Lady Beta Series No. 3: http://ht.ly/9yrCr
- Beyond and Back: Fred Beckey http://ow.ly/9uj3s
- Brendan (@semi_rad) recaps his weekend volunteering with Paradox Sports in Ouray helping disabled athletes climb: ht.ly/9wcJb
- RMNP, RRG, NRG, HCR – what does it mean?! Find out with Climb on, Sister’s “cragonyms” here!  http://www.climbonsister.com/2012/03/cragonyms-list-of-climbing-destination.html
- “Climbing… allows me to feel the most.” Great short video of Majka Burhardt (@MajkaBurhardt)  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jOoP1edVbo0&feature=youtu.be
- Wow Petzl (@petzl) climbers have been busy! A round-up of recent Petzl Team climbing news:  http://owl.li/9xlg0
- How mountaineer Ed Viesturs first summited Everest without oxygen http://bit.ly/whSLnO
- So you want to go ice climbing…use caution! http://www.climberism.com/so-you-want-to-go-ice-climbing/
- Do climbing partners need to have similar levels of psych? Good question raised by Gif of (@rockclimberlife): http://ht.ly/9yurh
- Thanks Climb on, Sister! (@ClimbonSister) for the Monday morning inspiration; amputees Drew & Ronnie bouldering at Horse Pens 40 http://ht.ly/9Babw
- Anger management with your climbing. How not keeping it in check may be hurting you:  http://ht.ly/9ysWn

News
- Very sad news of the death of budding alpinist Maria Khitrikova who died while guiding on Mt. Elbrus last week. http://ht.ly/9w4ky
- A tough outcome in the Tetons. Two good men gone.  http://jhnewsandguide.com/article.php?art_id=8329
- The NYT Magazine did a feature on the Ouray Ice Fest & the video features Girly Guide Dawn Glanc: http://nyti.ms/yL4efI
- Hey southeast climbers: Time to get a job, hippie (with the AAC!)  http://americanalpineclub.org/p/regional_coordinator_southeast_region_job_description
- Toddler rescued by climber  http://arbroath.blogspot.com/2012/03/irish-climber-rescues-3-year-old-boy.html
- Lots of climbing and outdoor news from AAI (@AlpineInstitute) this week: http://ht.ly/9xoVY

Training & Nutrition
- To make climbing gains do you need to lose some weight? Fat loss & weight management for climbing: http://ht.ly/9vuMQ
- How much time should you take off after a climbing injury? You may be surprised with the answer: http://ht.ly/9wX6j
- Why is training your PUSH muscles so important? Erica (@Cragmama) explains and demos the important ones for climbing: http://ht.ly/9wYUv

Gear
- In the market for a rope? Good information on what to look for from Outdoor Gear Lab: http://ht.ly/9tY8J
- More helmets are being given away by Petzl (@Petzl) - see why Erica (@Cragmama) supports wearing one while climbing: http://ht.ly/9vuar
- How hilarious are these? Who do you think will be the first to rock these North Face leopard print Nuptse down jackets? http://ht.ly/9ytN3

Trip Reports
- Part 1 of a Patagonian adventure blog from Jim Donini: “Real adventure, then, is rarely planned…” https://blog.scarpa.com/jim-doninis-patagonia-adventures-part-1/

Inspiration
- Pretty sweet vid from backpacking the Winds. http://ow.ly/9sPDq
- Killer Offwidth. http://fb.me/1iEd5ezYL
- “Life is short, get a poodle. I promise it will make you a better human.” New blog post from Majka Burhardt (@majkaburhardt): http://bit.ly/wrYtwX
- Great read: Weekend Road Trip: A Reminder of Why I Love Climbing | Jen Vennon  http://fb.me/149CM75Ec

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!

class=”alignleft size-full wp-image-4493″ title=”250×125″ src=”http://www.chickswithpicks.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/250×125.jpg” alt=”" width=”150″ height=”75″ />This week’s Gossip Report is brought to you by our sponsors at Columbia Sportswear! Thank you, Columbia for your support of our programs!

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 psyched for some rock climbing in just a few weeks (can you BELIEVE it?!?!) and will kick off the season with a return to our regular stomping ground of Red Rock, Nevada for a 3-day intensive clinic March 22 – 25, with an optional multi-pitch day: March 26^th. Then, we have a VERY special treat for our Chicks alumnae – an Indian Creek Alumnae Invitational which includes three days of intensive crack climbing clinics April 27-30, with an optional multi-pitch day May 1. Hurry to sign up for this one though, space is very limited! Did you catch our February newsletter a couple of weeks ago? Check it out for all the details on our plans for the summer here.

We also got tipped off on another climbing opportunity you can take advantage of if funds are tight – the Zion Women’s Climbing Trip later this month, too. Check out all the details on this very cool opportunity to climb with some professional climbers and mountaineers from Russia here.

We also shared some exciting news out of Alaska where Chicks alumna Jayme (Dixon) Mack has been doing great things for the climbing community with her help in organizing the ice festival that took place in mid-February. Read all about the events that went down here.

The “Chicks Chat” section of the website is starting to get some more posts, so make sure you check it out to potentially find a climbing partner, a cool opportunity to climb with women at a festival, or look for some beta of your own here.

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
- MUST read blog from Janet Bergman about women in alpine climbing: http://fb.me/1BfgklTed
- Check out Katharina Saurwein send three V11′s in a day! http://ht.ly/9c7I3
- Nina Caprez Repeats Mind Control (5.14c) http://bit.ly/wLYCq7
- Nina Caprez shares her thoughts on Mind Control after she takes its second female ascent. http://fb.me/PTsrTHh0
- Interview with Sasha DiGiulian (@sashadigiulian) who is climbing in Spain right now http://ht.ly/9chBx
- A video to get you through your Monday blues! Liberty Herring on Bush League at Hueco Tanks!  http://ht.ly/9skGS
- A nice article on adaptive climbing: http://tinyurl.com/7r8n75f
- Wow, this guy has climbed the same 5.11 route 10,000 times: http://ht.ly/9q7OS
- Splitter Choss discusses a great topic when it comes to access issues to climbing areas.  http://www.splitterchoss.com/2012/02/22/dont-be-afraid-of-the-big-loud-monsters/
- Chicks alumna Jenn Fields (@jennfields) returns climbing after an extended rest and gets gripped:  ht.ly/9b0MC
- Joey Kinder reports from the scene of Mind Control when he and Daila sent it.  http://www.joekindkid.com/?p=8605
- Some really cool ice climbing in “Blue Obsession”: http://vimeo.com/23987895
- Tutorial from AAI (@AlpineInstitute) on how to build a V-thread: http://ht.ly/9pGb6
- Another good tutorial from AAI (@AlpineInstitute) on sharpening those crampons! http://ht.ly/9pIuW
- Another to add to the array of ice tutorials http://bit.ly/AlyoCu (for new climbers of ice!)
- Got a Moab climbing question? Steph Davis (@highsteph) has answers here: http://ht.ly/9q74W
- Want to ice climb in August? You’ve just got to make it to New Zealand: http://ht.ly/9q9aM

News
- The AAI (@AlpineInstitute) is currently seeking an enthusiastic student climber for a paid internship:  tinyurl.com/7996l53
- Don’t let North Carolina officials close down the state parks (and climbing areas) for the winter! Here’s what you can do - http://bit.ly/zjMtAH

Training & Nutrition
- Dealing with a climbing injury herself, Alli Rainey (@allirainey) gives three steps to making sure you handle it right! http://ht.ly/9chZI
- Video of simple moves to relieve tendonitis and carpal tunnel syndrome http://ow.ly/9j4tk
- Cool idea for icing finger injuries: http://ht.ly/9sl13

Gear
- This has GOT to be warm à Columbia (@Columbia1938) has now put Omni Heat in a sleeping bag!   http://bit.ly/AFxIbr
- The climber’s ultimate multitool: Knife? Check. Scissors? Check. Toenail clippers? Check.  http://ht.ly/9czQS
- Gear Whores is new website created by our friend Aleya (@AleyaJean) – see what inspired the cool, new site: http://ow.ly/9pOGV
- Trying to figure out a layering system? McKenzie’s got some tips from Outdoor Gear Lab here:  http://ht.ly/9smn2

Trip Reports
- George (@privong) shares his photos and a video(!) from an ice climbing trip to NY: http://bit.ly/ADEIeP
- Stories & photos from Katie’s (@themorningfresh) recent  climbing trip to Rocktown in Ga. & Stone Fort http://wp.me/sUBYV-2837
- Love this – climber Beth Rodden just took her first non-climbing vacation as an adult & faced a fear of heights! http://blog.ospreypacks.com/?p=7866

Inspiration
- If you haven’t read the latest blog from Brendan (@semi_rad) you should do yourself a favor and check it out http://ht.ly/9pxWy and see how climbing has helped him stay sober.
- “A Life Ascending” feat. ski mountaineer Ruedi Beglinger is a compelling story about life in the mountains: http://ht.ly/9pJNo
- So cute – little Cragbaby crushes the boulder problem “Up the Down” a V0 in this video:  http://ht.ly/9skki

Fun Stuff
- Climbertoe is the most inconsiderate thing you could ever do to your belayer http://is.gd/p5Eocr
- Foods best not brought along on an ice climbing day: http://ht.ly/9sjwf

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!

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. Are you still climbing ice or are you getting on the rock already in this crazy winter? I’m headed up to climb some sweet Canadian ice this week, so there will NOT be a Gossip Report next Monday – sorry!

We are getting psyched for some rock climbing and will kick off the season with a return to our regular stomping ground of Red Rock, Nevada for a 3-day intensive clinic March 22 – 25, with an optional multi-pitch day: March 26^th. Then, we have a VERY special treat for our Chicks alumnae – an Indian Creek Alumnae Invitational which includes three days of intensive crack climbing clinics April 27-30, with an optional multi-pitch day May 1. Hurry to sign up for this one though, space is very limited!

Last week on the blog I wrote a piece on what I learned at Chicks this year – largely it’s about managing expectations and how my progression with climbing is ALL in the attitude. If you missed it, you can check it out here.

We also posted a gear review of the Columbia Sportswear long sleeved mid-weight striped base layer that Jenn Carter wrote after testing it at Chicks. Find out what she thought of the piece here.

Finally, we had a new blog from the Climbing Chef who confessed her true feelings about Yosemite climbing, along with a plan of attack so she can overcome some of those obstacles. It was a great post that you can check out here.

We are also launching a new “Chicks Chat” section to the website – for climbing ladies to connect and talk all things climbing – you can check it out here!

Last week was busy, because we also set up our Chicks Climbing boards on Pinterest! Are you 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
- Rad! Dalia Ojeda redpoints the 5.14c Mind Control in Oliana: http://ht.ly/98yEq  http://ht.ly/98yFI
- This is AWESOME. Ines Papert gives her first-hand account of her recent ascent of Illuminati M11+, WI6 http://ht.ly/9aLSw
- Girly Guide Dawn Glanc was No. 1 for the ladies in the mixed climbing comp at the 2012 Teva winter games! http://ht.ly/93Qh1 – Wise words from Sasha DiGiulian (@sashadigiulian) on managing expectations in climbing:  http://ht.ly/94tIr
- Do guides get scared? Why are women’s climbing programs important? Great interview with Sarah Hueniken thanks to Katie at Adventure Inspired: http://ht.ly/95k1v
- Why do you think there aren’t more females making first ascents? http://ht.ly/97poo
-  GREAT video of Sterling Rope (@SterlingRope) athlete Monique Forestier on the “Tom et je Ris” (8b+/5.14a):  http://ht.ly/92Tva
-  Majka Burhardt (@majkaburhardt) on what it means to climb: http://bit.ly/AwwKDB
- Spray ice climbing – how interested are you in giving it a shot? Report from Raph Salwinski at Helmcken Falls: http://ht.ly/96ZNd
- Come for Chicks (March 22-26), stay for the Red Rock Rendezvous! http://tinyurl.com/7y3ptxr
- Naked Ice Climber Warned Not to Do It Again: http://tinyurl.com/7u7xhzd
- Katie bouldering on Leatherface! Horseshoe Canyon Ranch, Jasper, AR http://ht.ly/92JfM
- Burly! Jesse Mattner nabs the second ascent of Silver Surfer, an M9 near Redstone, Co.  http://fb.me/B8Mkyexr
- Lots of bouldering going on in Hueco – see what’s going down thanks to the Climbing Narc (@climbingnarc): Busy Times In Hueco http://bit.ly/A2c7ff
- Great angles, makes you feel like you’re climbing along at the Teva Winter Mountain Games: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F-PqdicZF8Y
- Nice post from a new climber. “The 3 Questions That Hold Me Back”: http://wp.me/p1N5lq-av
- Some great selections in the Splitter Choss (@splitterchoss) Friday Five: http://ht.ly/98zhA
-  We’re feeling the psych for Climb on Sister (@ClimbOnSister) who sent her project, Spittin’ Venom (V9) today! Video from trying it last year. http://ht.ly/99nIT
- What has Ouray Ice Fest winner Emily Harrington been up to since then? Check it out:  http://ht.ly/9aNzd

News
- Take Climbing’s 5-minute cover study and help your favorite climbing org earn a $500 donation: https://aimmedia.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_9oc0ujTnC1mWtxi&mode=facebookclimbing
- Dawn Glanc in the AAI (@AlpineInstitute) weekly news roundup among lots of other stories:  http://ht.ly/977zv
- Climber Injured in 50-foot Fall in Joshua Tree: http://tinyurl.com/7go5dl6

Training & Nutrition
- Train smart – core training for climbers – new at Climb Strong: http://ht.ly/92Pnq
- Although she admits to a love-hate relationship with training, here’s Climb On Sister’s (@ClimbOnSister) tips for training for climbing: http://ht.ly/93Tfo
- Tips for avoiding finger injuries for folks new to climbing from Gif (@rockclimberlife): http://ht.ly/98MHf

Gear
- How to Sharpen and Maintain your Ice Screws: http://tinyurl.com/7vdegrg
- Gear review of the So iLL (@soillholds) Blister Board from Gif (@rockclimberlife): http://ht.ly/93TPG Trip Reports
- Nice photo essay from AAI (@AlpineInstitute) of a SW Colorado classic ice climb: Ames Ice Hose: http://ht.ly/92GMK
- Some pretty sweet looking sport climbing in Thailand, or at least that’s how it looks in Whitney’s (@Whitneyio) video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=OU_z713xJmg
- Soloing “The Prow” http://wednesdaysrocks.blogspot.com/2012/02/soloing-prow.html?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

Inspiration
- Channeling fear & frustration into focus http://ht.ly/93QOs
- Check out these gorgeous ice shots from http://alpineexposures.com- how can you not be psyched to ice climb after seeing these?!?! http://www.alpineexposures.com/blogs/chamonix-conditions/5544012-ice-ice-baby
- Highlights from Sara’s hut trip http://RightSizedLife.com & a reminder that work is love, from Brendan (@semi_rad): http://ht.ly/976rz
- Really touching post on remembering a loved one, lost to cancer: http://www.prana.com/blog/2012/02/17/remembrance/
- Tiny girl in Aleya’s rock climbing class just fist jammed the 37 ft hand crack on the slab wall – how cool! http://ow.ly/i/t1dw

Fun Stuff
- Wow, Marmot (@marmotpro) gave Chicks a sweet spot on their homepage! Check out the bottom right-hand corner! http://ht.ly/94uN5
- So it looks like there’s a Men of Routesetting beefcake calendar out there:  http://tinyurl.com/6p9eb3o

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!

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!