A Chicks Unleashed gathering
Women mountaineers are invited to a social weekend in the New Year in a get together with others with a passion for the hills.
The event, organised by Rosie Goolden of Chicks Unleashed, will also include lectures and a series of clinics on winter navigation, understanding snow, and competence and confidence in using crampons and ice axe.
The social meet, at the Badaguish Lodges near Glenmore, Aviemore, takes place from 7 to 10 January and there are still places available, according to Ms Goolden, a mountain instructor.
She said: “The aim of the social meet is just that: to have a great social, enabling networking of women who share a passion for the mountains. It also helps them to get their skills up to scratch ready for the season ahead.
“In the past it’s proved an excellent way of women meeting up and going on to do many adventures together.”
The meet is being run on a non-profit basis and the cost of £62 includes accommodation at the lodge on Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights.
Details are on the Chicks Unleashed website.
Colin
22 December 2010Can you just hear the outcry if such an event was arranged for men only?
Rosie Goolden
22 December 2010Colin, I can absolutely understand your point and it's an interesting & useful discussion. The reason that Chicks Unleashed was set up was as a reaction to years & years of course participants saying that having a female instructor affected their learning & perception of the course. Things are certainly evolving now, but there are still relatively few women instructing (especially on winter courses) or participating in winter mountain activities. Some of this is certainly to do with the perceived & real risk and struggle of climbing and winter. Many women think they just won't be able to 'keep up' with their male counterparts.
These days more and more women are involved - in the mountain press, climbing great stuff at local crags & in the climbing walls, and even gear for the ladies is so much better.
But there are still many women who feel nervous to book on a course, and that's a shame. Many women do learn some skills differently from many men.
The courses that Chicks Unleashed runs are available in all sorts of formats across the country for men too.
Chicks Unleashed was set up to support & encourage women, not to exclude men because we dislike them! Some of the women who come along choose to book with men on our trips.
Sorry Colin, that got a bit rambley and perhaps I didn't make anything clearer....
david
26 December 2010Your comments on this article...
Shame about the name, why not women unleashed?