Gore Range Gravity Alliance Is Helping Women Break Down Barriers In Snowsports

One cold evening in early January, I suited up and made my way to the base of Vail Mountain for my first Gore Range Gravity Alliance (GRGA) uphill meetup. I had been in the Vail Valley for two months and had been on my ski touring setup once. I was nervous, a little intimidated, but excited to connect with other women who shared similar interests.

Photos courtesy of Gore Range Gravity Alliance

As I struggled to click into my bindings, a short woman in a blue jacket walked up next to me, slapped her skis down and introduced herself as Nikki. We chatted a bit as the group got together and when the GRGA ambassador told us to pair up after explaining the route and general safety practices, my new acquaintance and I looked at each other and nodded in agreement that we would stick together for the tour. As we made our way uphill, we chatted about what brought us here, where we lived (me in Red Cliff and her in a van with her now-husband), our ski experience and winter objectives. I struggled with my new-to me bindings, and she showed patience for my inexperience. We quickly hit it off.

As we sat at Vendetta’s with the rest of the group post-tour, chatting over pizza and beer, Nikki and I planned to meet up the following week for more touring. Little did we know this would become something we would do multiple mornings a week, all winter long, becoming best friends through cold mornings and lots of vert.

The Gore Range Gravity Alliance sprouted from a 2020 Facebook post in Eagle County Classifieds from Amanda Marchiani — GRGA founder — who was looking to get into the backcountry with other women. The large response from this post and the camaraderie Marchiani felt recreating around other strong women is what sparked GRGA, a nonprofit that facilitates meetups and educational events throughout Eagle County (and now into Summit County) for women.

“I just wanted to have a place where any woman who’s interested in outdoor activities can feel like they have a place to belong,” Marchiani explains. “You don’t have to show up at 100% and you’re still going to feel welcome. This is more about connection and less about ‘okay I’m going to come out here and be the fastest uphiller.’ Sure, it is a great way to be active, but we encourage people to connect.”

In the winter, GRGA hosts multiple events per month such as uphill meetups, mapping and navigation education nights, the occasional hut trip and their well-known annual events such as the Backcountry Ball — Dec. 7, 2024 — and the Beacon Hunt at Meadow Mountain. In the summer there is a mix of mountain biking and trail running meetups, too.

All of these events give women the opportunity to meet new people, gain skills and, in many cases, share their skills with others.

“We’ve often thought about what GRGA can give to people when it comes to connection and education, but I also forget that so many people really benefit from the opportunity to make an impact.” Marchiani reflects. “Giving women the opportunity to also volunteer and make an impact on their community is important.”

Nothing quite compares to sharing knowledge of something you love with a fellow human and seeing them build a relationship with that activity, too. Learning new things can be incredibly intimidating but vastly eye opening to potential joy.

At my first uphill meetup, GRGA ambassador May Jackson helped me figure out how to operate my complicated bindings, allowing me to feel independent and operate them moving forward. A few months later at a Beaver Creek uphill sesh, I was able to help another woman with the same confusing bindings understand how to use them too. Not only did the kindness and knowledge of one person help the other, but the ripple effect continued.

It can be hard jumping into new social circles and new activities for anyone. For women, the supportive space created by GRGA softens the barriers that often come with starting intimidating outdoor hobbies. Gore Range Gravity Alliance is entering another winter packed with events that support women exploring, learning and recreating together such as a Women’s Level 1 Avalanche Course with Colorado Adventure Guides taking place Jan. 18-20, 2025 in Leadville, Colorado. If you’re interested in getting involved or participating in any of the GRGA events, head to gorerangegravityalliance.com for more information.

Originally published in the Winter 2024-25 issue of Spoke+Blossom.