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 […]
Ah the benevolence of God to provide mortal climbers with such a place to play as the City of Rocks! One of my favorite things to do is climb during summer solstice in a landscape littered with giant, granite domes and towers! Lucky for me, that is exactly what I’ll be doing this summer solstice […]
The Grivel G Zero mountaineering axe stands in a long, illustrious line of climbing equipment dating back to when climbing equipment was first manufactured. The climbing equipment manufacturing company, Grivel, is over 200 years old! The G Zero is an awesome lightweight classic mountaineering axe, designed and manufactured at the foot of Mont Blanc, the […]
The main tenant when it comes to how to pack for a mountaineering trip is that light is right! Light is right for many reasons not least of which is that light is much easier and more enjoyable to carry. However, light-is-right is especially important to me because I go to the mountains to get […]
“Look, Mommy, this is re-credible!” my six year old son exclaimed as he hit the ice with his ice hammer as if slaying dragons. The concepts of precision and balance, using the tool as a point under which to center his feet, were uninteresting to him. What was interesting was the fantasy-land of ice. Slaying […]
My climbing partner sniffed out the seldom-formed ice pillar like a hounddog on a scent. It was a 100-foot, WI 5+, slender column of loosely associated icicles, aptly called The Bone. The trick to climbing sustained ice pillars is to avoid panic. Take the time to find balance, to climb efficiently. I could tell the […]
Get stoked for winter with a new Mammut Barryvox S Transceiver. Pop Quiz Should you face your transceiver towards your body, or away from your body? Why should you wear your avalanche transceiver under at least one layer of clothing? How far away from your transceiver should you carry any metals or electronics? (i.e cell […]
It takes 20 hours, not 10,000 hours to learn a skill. Last week I stood on the beach in Kauai and jealously watched kids catch small waves on their surfboards. Even as they fell off their boards they laughed. But, I hesitated. Why start now?” I asked. Surfing has a slow learning curve and requires […]