First Ascent guide and new mom Caroline George took a little time away for herself to go find some summer ice in Chamonix with the ladies from Chicks with Picks.

UIAGM guide Caroline George has tackled many climbs of great difficulty but nothing completely prepared her for the demands of childbirth, motherhood and returning to the mountains with a different perspective on life.

By Caroline George In Chamonix, France, guides go to work riding the Aiguille du Midi lift, just like bankers ride the subway to work in New York. The difference is the view. The cable car raises alongside a 1,200-meter-long beautiful rock and then a knife-edge snowy ridge called the Frendo Spur.