Dear Chicks Community,
Twenty two years ago, Chicks with Picks started a revolution. Chicks provided a space for women to come together, learn from one another, and be challenged by frozen waterfalls, rock crags, and snow-capped mountains. This community grew, took on a life of its own, and upended the paradigm that adventuring in the outdoors was solely for men.
Today we are reintroducing ourselves as IRIS.
It is time to take the magic of the Chicks community and share its vision with others. We believe in creating a place for women and non-binary climbers and skiers to learn and grow together in the mountains. IRIS provides the people and programming for all to feel confident in themselves, comfortable with their partners, and competent at their sport.
IRIS stands for Inclusive Rock Ice Ski
Our roots stem from the name Iris meaning rainbow and words we value to embody: trust, honor, hope and valor. Trust in our climbing and skiing partnerships; honoring who we are and who we can become through challenge and encouragement; hope to create and strengthen a more diverse outdoor community; and the valor to face these challenges in our lives.
The Iris flower is representative of community. We feel it is perfectly emblematic of this community that has blossomed over 20 years and will continue to flourish.
It has been a long, involved rebranding road from Chicks resurfacing in November 2020 to now. We want to thank all of you who were a part of email exchanges, Zoom conference calls, logo designs, and your personal email replies. Sharing your feedback, your support and your heartfelt experiences helped us arrive at IRIS.
“I absolutely LOVE that you are becoming more inclusive… thank you for showing this old dog a new trick.” – Jen
“I agree that it is time to move forward. I fully support your plans for a new logo and goals.” – Carol
“I’m really impressed with all you are doing and your leadership. It’s heartwarming to see the global demand signal for inclusivity. I’m in full support.” – Mary
Visit our new site; enrollment is open!
Posted are a November 2021 Red River Gorge rock climbing clinic and our Winter 2021/22 schedule of ice, ski and avalanche courses including custom bookings. As always, you can anticipate learning from all of our amazing, top notch women and non-binary guides!
We look forward to sharing this journey of continued growth with you, our community, in the mountains!
– Lindsay Fixmer