Chicks Owners & Guides

Kim Reynolds founded Chicks Climbing and Skiing in 1999 with the mission to empower women through ice climbing. Kim’s original vision, Chicks with Picks in Ouray, Colorado became the first-ever all-women ice climbing program. Then, in 2015, Kim passed the torch to four, long-time Chicks Guides: Elaina Arenz, Karen Bockel, Kitty Calhoun and Angela Hawse.

These four women are all influential mountaineering and climbing luminaries who believe in the power of an educational progression of climbing and backcountry skiing skills.  Our proudest moments are when Chicks Alumnae fly from the nest and emerge as leaders on rock, ice and snow but also in their climbing partnerships and local communities.

Amazing Guides

Chicks guides are the most highly trained and experienced female guides in the country and have decades of personal and professional climbing experience to share with you. In fact, we only hire AMGA Certified Guides  who is the leader in education, training and standards for climbing guides and instructors in the US.

We value education and training above all else, and our guides have dedicated themselves to teach others climbing and skiing with patience and understanding.

Personally accomplished, inspiring, encouraging and supportive women, Chicks guides will stretch you mentally and physically, in a very good way. They will be mentors who become friends. We’ve seen first hand, and many testimonials confirm, that a strong, female role model is a huge confidence boost.