Slide Show: The Wild Adventures of Kirsten Kremer

I first met Kirsten Kremer in the living room of a climber's hostel in El Chalten, Argentina. I was rushing around, trying to get all my gear together for the trek into Bridwell Camp to climb with Kirsten and Janet Bergman, who had arrived in Patagonia a week a head of me.

She told me to chill—"Tranquilo, Garlick"—the weather was bad in the mountains and we'd be staying in town for a bit. Over coffee, I got to know my new climbing partner.

I learned about her typical yearly commutes: from guiding Denali in the spring, to running rapids as a raft guide in the summer, to big-wall climbing in Yosemite in the fall, alpine climbing in Patagonia in the winter, back to Alaska for some heli-ski guiding in the early spring, then back over to Denali . . . . . . some years she shakes it up with trips to the Alps to paraglide or time in Lodi jumping out of airplanes.

Kirsten is the real deal: a climber and friend I look up to, and without a doubt one of the most accomplished and inspirational outdoor athletes—male or female—out there.

Come listen to the wild tales of Kirsten's adventures during the Women's Rock Weekend featured slide show, Saturday, June 21 at I.M.E., 7:30 PM. $5 at the door.

Check out a bio of Kirsten ad the Valdez Heli Ski Guides site.

Check out an essay I wrote about climbing with Kirsten on the Patagonia site.

Check out an Outside Magazine story about Kirsten's ski descents on Denali.

Guides Extravaganza!

Ladies, you are going to be psyched! We have guides from ALL over the country coming in just for you during Women's Rock Weekend. These are not just strong climbers, but they are professional guides that have dedicated their lives to climbing and passing on their knowledge to you.

The list of the guest guides are:
Majka Burhardt
Danika Gilbert
Kirsten Kremer
Julia Niles

Local Guides include:
Sarah Garlick
Joan Lee-Elkin
Anne Skidmore
Claudine Safar
& All The Gudies at IMCS

There is going to be so much inspiration, motivation, and passion at this years event! Don't miss it!

Majka Burhardt climbing Persistence 5.11, @ The Gunks.

We HEART Crumpler!

Need a pick-me-up at work today? Check out the website of one of our most favorite Women's Rock Weekend sponsors, Crumpler: http://www.crumplerbags.com/. This zany Australian company not only makes gorgeous bags, they also have an unbelievably fun time doing it. Check out this CNN story about Crumpler's out-of-the-ordinary marketing "strategy". We love the way Crumpler works and we love the support they give us for Women's Rock Weekend.

P.S.
The Crumpler goodie bags for 2008 have arrived... ...they're still a secret, but the one thing we can tell you for sure is that our Women's Rock Weekenders are going to be psyched!

Posters are up!

The new posters are printed and they have been mailed out across New England. Know a good place you'd like to see the poster? Give us a call (603-356-7064) or send an email (guides@ime-usa.com) with the address and we'll send it out.

Happy climbing!

Rock Season is HERE! Woo-hoo!!!

That's right, ladies! The snow is (almost) gone and the cliffs are drying out!!!

Okay, okay, truth be told, it's actually pouring rain out right this very moment. But the point is, the cliffs were drying out until two days ago. Now they're just getting cleaned off. . . you know, spring cleaning for the granite.

I guess what I'm trying to say is:
Game On!

Sign up for Women's Rock Weekend!

Make your lodging reservations now!!!

Women's Rock Weekend happens to fall at the same time as bike weekend and the foot race on Mount Washington... so... make those lodging reservations ASAP before the town is all booked up!!!

Tips for nearby lodging options can be found here.

Get Ready To Rock!

Welcome to the official blog of the IMCS Women's Rock Weekend! We're gearing up for a great event. Keep checking back here for updates and details. Ready to sign up? Call the IMCS office today! (603-356-7064)