The Chicks Legacy Continues! The former owners – Angela Hawse, Elaina Arenz, Karen Bockel, and Kitty Calhoun – of Chicks Climbing & Skiing are pleased to announce that we have passed the torch to Dan Zokaites, a longtime friend and IFMGA Guide from Ridgway, CO. He then asked the preeminent guide, Lindsay Fixmer to be […]
The key to working routes is as much about developing movement skills as it is about memorizing sequences of holds. You would think I’m a broken record but I just sent a long-time climbing project and I was again reminded of a key climbing-movement concept: Your hips are your power center. The foundation of […]
“That’s not the story I had in mind,” I said in disappointment. “Can’t you tell me about the bravest warriors? Those who were brought back from the dead? Didn’t they train during the day and feast at night as they prepared for the battle of Ragnarok?” I asked. “No. They were just men who […]
Revelation came to me while relaxing with friends. It was after giving a slide show at a climbing festival. “Good story, Kitty, but it didn’t happen that way,” John, my Makalu Expedition teammate, said with a smile. “Yeah?” I asked. Then he went on to describe the events of our climb totally differently than I […]
I am lovin’ the Patagonia Caliza Rock Pants! If you know me, you know that I am loyal to a fault, and can be slow to change. But I have to admit I am, slowly, changing. My new, favorite rock pants are no longer the RPS pants but the Caliza. The Caliza are my latest, […]
When telling stories, I often choose to focus on climate change and sustainability. During a recent Instagram Live session, Brad Wertnz, of Boulders Rock Gym asked me to tell some stories for younger climbers who might not have the depth of experience to process the current times – both in terms of perspective and lessons […]
Back in the day, as a young, pure minimalist climber, I scoffed at mountaineers using trekking poles. “Why buy poles, much less carry them into the mountains, if I have strong legs?” I thought. Then, during one particularly shameful trip to the mountains, my attitude towards poles changed quickly. It all started on the approach […]
Have you ever struggled to remove a stuck cam? When trying to remove a stuck came it helps to know how it got stuck in the first place. Most of the time a cam gets stuck when a leader gets pumped and scared. In a rush, the leader pulls the trigger bars back and rams […]
For years, I climbed cracks in Indian Creek in just a Patagonia Sports Bra. Or, for wide cracks and off-widths, I wore just a Patagonia Sports Bra covered with a long-sleeved shirt to protect my skin from being abraded. I love climbing in a Patagonia Sports Bra! They don’t bind—binding Sports Bras are horrible for climbing. They have […]
I have a Yeti Hopper BackFlip 24 backpack cooler but my husband is always borrowing it. Yeti is one of Chicks Climbing and Skiing’s newest sponsors. A company who in their own words values experiences, restlessness, playfulness, durability and togetherness, Yeti makes a great partner! And now, you’ll have the opportunity to demo Yeti products […]