Wild and Unapologetic: Women Breaking the Solo Adventuring Rules
Women going on solo adventures is a very sensitive topic these days. Traditionally, society has us believing that the safest place for us to be unsupervised is still in the kitchen. Recently I was reading a thread in a hiking group on Facebook that was shaming a woman for even suggesting heading out on her own. Instead of putting the cap locks on and voicing my opinion I decided it was time to speak to a wider audience. I am here to address the stigmas and barriers women face to get out to embrace their wild spirit, as well as to educate how to do it safely.
“Men are always excused for loving the wilderness or loving adventure or loving whatever more than the woman. Women aren’t excused for that” Pam Houston, Cowboys are my Weakness
The stigma women face in releasing their inner wild woman goes back over 100 years. My heroine, Mary Shaffer used to stuff her skirt in the bushes when she was out of the sight of others to hike in her bloomers! In the early 1900s she made a name for herself beside all notable men of the time as an explorer, artist, writer, and a photographer. She faced criticism for her ambitious exploration to be the first non-indigenous person to set eyes on Jasper National Park’s Maligne Lake.
Women face more scrutiny than men when embarking on an adventure. We are burdened with guilt for time away from family, careers, and responsibilities. There is a lack of social support to educate women on how they can do it safely instead of just saying don’t do it. We should be building up the confidence in women instead of clipping their wings.
As an outdoor educator for the Outdoor Council of Canada I teach about wilderness safety, risk management, adventure planning, what to pack and more. We are advised not to go alone without the proper preparation. I educate other women on how to do it safely so they have the confidence to explore on their own. We can never eliminate all risk in anything in life, but we can address the most likely risks and plan accordingly.
During Covid I made my mountain dream come true by moving to a beautiful mountain town. Unfortunately, the restrictions prevented me from meeting friends or adventure buddies. Solo adventuring became my saviour.
People would tell me I was crazy or reckless when I would head out on a long training run or an overnight backcountry camping trip by myself. They would say it is unsafe for me to venture so far alone. Would they say this of a man? What is crazy is living my life according to someone else’s risk tolerance. Reckless would be not taking proper precautions in planning my adventures. As I tuned out the small-minded naysayers, and tuned into my adventurous spirit, I ventured farther, became bolder and more skilled. The solitude has become an addiction. I crave it. Out there among the tall trees and long rocky ridges is where I can settle the noise in my brain and make more sense of it all. It is peace and clarity. As women, we spend so much time leading, caregiving, and sharing our energy with others that it is necessary to find a way to reignite our own energy.
In 2022 I took on my boldest adventure yet, The Vermont Long Trail Solo. The Vermont Long Trail is the original long distance hiking trail in the US. It is 271 miles long with close to 21, 000 m of vertical gain. I did thorough research to know the elements of risk I was up against. The rules at the US border prevented me from bringing my preferred defence tool – bear spray, across the border from Canada. Plan B, I practiced my defence moves with my switchblade instead!!
The day I was dropped off at the Vermont/Massachusetts border was scary. We had to park on some random side street, hike up 7 km to the actual start of the trail in extreme heat and humidity while carrying what felt like a small child on my back. I hugged my best friend good bye with tears in my ears wondering what I had set myself up for. For the first 4 days and 100 miles of the trail I was with hikers that were doing the AT. After that 100 miles the 2 trails split off from one another. This was the start of some of the most extreme weather and terrain I had ever experienced. The trail, and I use that term loosely at times, felt very isolating as I saw very few people and my only link to get me back to Canada was my Far Out app. Not all things went to plan on this grand adventure. I have become a master at pivoting and adapting. Even though things did not go as smoothly as I had envisioned, I am extremely proud of what I achieved and overcame. The skills and confidence I gained taking on this trail have stayed with me still today. They will help in my future endeavours even off the trail. I can share my experience and knowledge with other people.
I am here to tell you that you CAN do tough things!! No matter how big or small your excursion may be you want to try, you just have to start. Surround yourself with people that will support your depth of adventure and that do not take that freedom from you.
My top 6 Solo Adventure Must-Do’s:
Step 1: Choose a location and do thorough research on the location
Step 2: Research your expected weather for the area with a trusted weather website or app
Step 3: Assess the risks you could encounter and how you plan on dealing with them
Step 4: Gear List – Plan for the worst, hope for the best
Step 5: Create your plan with a plan B in case it is needed
Include: approximate start time, finish time, when they should start to worry, where you will be parking, name and location of trail, planned check ins with your
emergency contact
Step 6: Leave a copy of this plan with your emergency contact
You will encounter many opinions about your solo activities, on the trail and at home. My wish is for women to feel the freedom of stepping out into nature on their own. Find her way back to who she is because when she does, she can be so much more of what she needs to be to everyone else.
In 2025, you will find me on the mountain tops whether I am adventuring, racing in ultra marathons, or on my epic journey on the Tahoe Rim Trail. Tahoe Rim Trail is 170 miles of pure rugged beauty that I plan to complete in a week. Meanwhile, I will continue to inspire and encourage women to release the wild women within themselves.
