A spry 55-year-old Kitty Calhoun, center, nears the top of Chiling II in India in fall 2015. The decorated climber now calls the area home, splitting time between Moab and Ouray, where she co-owns Chicks with Picks. While not a guide service per se, the company offers female-only ice climbing clinics with a low client-to-instructor ratio. New this season: chicks-only backcountry skiing clinics, aptly named “Chicks with Sticks.”/Courtesy photo

No man’s land

World class climber helps other women reach new heights

by Joy Martin

Chicks shredding powder. Chicks sending El Cap. Slacklining chicks. Surfing chicks. Boxing chicks. Running chicks. They’re everywhere, flaunting powerful quads, chiseled triceps, six packs, bloody knuckles and smile lines creased into sun-baked cheeks. And they’re so hot right now, proud to blaze the trail of a fresh perspective on what is sexy. The trend is obvious and of course has a hashtag: strong is the new skinny.

Now I’m no feminist. I took my husband’s name, find great satisfaction in washing dishes, and sometimes wear a bra. But I also love tackling mountain sports in the only way I know how: like a girl.

This is no modern movement, mind you. Women have been pushing their limits in the great outdoors for generations, earning first ascents, first descents, gold medals and sponsorships, just like the boys. What’s gaining momentum is the exposure and attractiveness of embracing femininity in athletic prowess, using what the good Lord gave us to grow stronger, go farther and inspire others to do the same.

“The public is beginning to take notice of what women can do and have done in the outdoors, particularly in climbing,” says 55-year-old climbing legend Kitty Calhoun.    

The Greenville, S.C., native began rock climbing in 1978 after attending the North Carolina Outward Bound School. Later that year, she moved to Vermont for college, and, at the onset of a bad winter, was introduced to ice climbing, got a refund on her season ski pass and proceeded to fall in love with the frozen vertical world.

Graduating a semester early with a degree in recreation management, Calhoun packed her car and headed west to pursue the alpine life. She dirtbagged for seven years and to support her addiction, became an international guide with the American Alpine Institute. Guiding took the petite descendant of John C. Calhoun, seventh U.S. Vice President for you history buffs, from the Andes to the Himalaya, from Africa to Alaska, and all the high places between.

By 1991, Calhoun had not only received the American Alpine Club’s top honor, the Underhill Award (also presented to the likes of Yvon Chouinard, Royal Robbins and Calhoun’s husband, Jay Smith), for the first female ascent of the world’s fifth highest mountain, 8,000-meter Makalu, but she had also grown weary of life on the road.

“I got tired of it. I wanted somewhere to settle down,” says Calhoun.

Just the beginning for Calhoun, seen here circa 1983 ice climbing in New Hampshire./Courtesy photo

So she got married, moved to Seattle and got her MBA from the University of Washington. By 1994, she had reared a child, moved to Salt Lake City, co-founded Exum Mountain Adventures, got divorced, got remarried, moved to Moab and all the while continued ice climbing.

Settle down? Not in the cards for this pixie maiden who can’t shake her deep Southern drawl. Instead, the Patagonia-, Scarpa-, Julbo-, MSR-, Black Diamond- and PMI Ropes-sponsored athlete guided special forces with her husband from 1996 - 2000.  

“The day you’re born, you’re gonna die,” laughs Calhoun. “When you realize that, you live a richer, fuller life because you don’t take things for granted. You try to live every day as if it could be your last day. And while you do, try to gain experience and good judgment to minimize risk. You don’t just cut off life because you’re afraid of dying. It’s going to happen anyway. At least that’s the way I look at it.”

Even as a mother, says Calhoun, and perhaps in spite of it, it’s important to keep following your heart. “There’s a balance between what you need to do for yourself and what you need to do for your relationships and family, but you can’t cut off yourself,” she said. “If you do, you’re no longer gaining the wisdom for being a good role model and good partner. It’s important to keep after it and keep pushing yourself.”

In 2000, Calhoun connected with one of the few women in the ice climbing community, Kim Reynolds, who was busy crafting a women’s-specific climbing outfitter in Ouray. 4 

“Back then, there just weren’t many women ice climbers,” says Calhoun. “And they were being taught by boyfriends that had a different way of teaching that didn’t always work out so well.”

Reynolds’ vision for her company, Chicks with Picks, was to empower women with access, instruction and support in ice climbing. She opted to hire the best, which meant only AMGA-certified guides with stout resumes and a high aptitude for teaching. They would be called Girly Guides.

“I was her first guide,” says Calhoun, who’s guided exclusively for Chicks with Picks ever since.

“But it’s not a guide service,” Calhoun explains. “Rather, we put on events. We don’t have our own permit, so we work through other guide services and use sponsors who give us sponsorships in a variety of different ways, including demos. Participants can try different gear to see what works best for them before buying something.”

Six months ago, a ready-to-move-on Reynolds sold Chicks with Picks to Calhoun and fellow Chicks, Dawn Glanc, Angela Hawse, Elaina Arenz and Karen Bockel.

“It’s fun with the five of us. We’re sharing our individual successes, and that keeps us motivated, excited and inspired. While there are challenges, there’s also the synergy that comes from working together. Just thinking about the future is really exciting.”

Currently, the bread-and-butter of the Ouray business is their premium medley of two- to four-day ice climbing clinics, featuring a clientele of women from a variety of fields, ranging from beginning climbers to those who want to reach new heights in their climbing endeavors.

The greatest benefit of a Chicks clinic, besides finding climbing partners, is its small client-to-guide ratio, says Calhoun. “We are four-to-one all day long. This way, you progress quickly being with the same guide and the same group.”

Compared to similar programs that offer an eight-to-one client-to-guide ratio, Chicks price tag is justified, but if it’s a turnoff for the curious but penniless Durangoan, opt for the instruction-only program, open to chicks who want to sort out their own lodging and meals.

If, on the other hand, you love the sound of this radical program but have zero interest in leaving the ground ever, much less beach-whaling a slab of cold, dripping wet ice, then join the Chicks for their 17th Annual Chicks Fundraiser at the Ouray Community Center on Jan. 30.

“We’re going to have free beer, cheap gear, feature women’s films and of course an auction. Over the past 16 years, Kim’s raised over $200,000 through fundraisers. Most of this money goes back to the local women’s shelter and some goes to the Ouray Ice Park,” says Calhoun.

How does a spry Calhoun, who celebrates her 56th-birthday this year, keep her enthusiasm for the sport?  

“For me, climbing’s no longer about doing new routes. It’s about empowering women through climbing and supporting local needs through education and fundraisers,” she says. But, she admits she still loves the technical and mind-body aspects. “When you focus on movement and get in the zone, it’s so cool because then you forget about everything else. And when you’re done, you’re refreshed and can attack your problems and challenges with renewed energy and creativity. I really like to help other people get in that zone.” 

New from Chicks for the 2016 winter season is a freshly baked selection of backcountry skiing clinics, aptly named Chicks with Sticks, featuring heli-ski trips in Telluride, Jackson Hole, the Alps and Japan. 

“A lot of guys want to go on our ski trip to Japan,” laughs Calhoun about their “no boys allowed” policy. “I just say, ‘You wish!’”

From Jan. 14-17, Chicks with Picks will host a booth and clinics at the Ouray Ice Fest. On Fri., Jan. 15, Kitty Calhoun will present a slide show at the Ouray Community Center. For more on Chicks with Picks, go to www.chickswithpicks.net. For more on the 21^st annual Ouray Ice Festival, go to www.ourayicepark.com.