Women adventurers

[Idleknight]

While I have a shelf or two of books about the outdoors written by guys, I have been looking for more books by girls to inspire my two daughters. The best I have found so far is Extreme sleeps by Phoebe Smith, which they have enjoyed. It is about her experiences wild camping, she gets the same reaction from her friends. They believe out in the wilds is more dangerous than a city centre at night.

 

[santaman2000]

Sailing is one of the few places where we have a genuine level playing field.

Or driving. Reference Danica Patrick.

 

[Joonsy]

There are quite a few women in the mountaineering world.

Arlene Blum:- led all-women teams to climb Annapurna and Mt. McKinley, she made the first traverse of the Great Himalayan Range, and hiked across the Alps carrying her baby daughter on her back.

Gerlinde Kaltenbrunner:- the first woman to climb all fourteen 8,000 metre mountains without using supplementary oxygen.

Fanny Bullock Workman (1859-1925):- cycled all over the world and was one of the first professional female mountaineers.

On a slight tangent, Ellen Macarthur packed in competitive sailing to concentrate on promoting the Circular Economy Living System. (making better use of the worlds ''finite'' resources).

[video=youtube;N-cWaRRLh3k]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N-cWaRRLh3k[/video]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VNUe7e4cHDM

 

[NicfromBristol]

I've watched a couple of youtube videos by Susanne Williams for example
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=AHSrhMhhCS8

Very inspiring

 

[Tengu]

`an Explorers Handbook` is an interesting and useful book.

(Dodwell wrote others but I havent seen them.)

Isabella Bird is an interesting writer, as are the other Victorian Womens Travelers(TM)

And of course;

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Celia_Fiennes

Who may or my not be the woman in the `Ride a cock horse` nursery rhyme, but she went on a tour of Britain in preference to the Grand Tour of Europe. She loved seeing big houses, tried the local food, and always had a go at any crafts workshop she might come across...She would have made a fun telly presenter.

 

[bb07]

I just watched this: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2167266/

One tough woman: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robyn_Davidson

1700 miles across Australia using camels.

 

[Seadog]

Frederica De Laguna - here Voyage to Greenland well worth a read

https://books.google.co.uk/books?id...&sa=X&ei=X9q5VPf7OMWzUYW8hOAD&ved=0CCIQ6AEwAA

Also Gertrude Bell

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gertrude_Bell

and I would also argue Lady Isabel Burton

https://archive.org/details/arabiaegyptindia00burtrich

 

[sandbender]

"...There are quite a few women in the mountaineering world..."

Also Catherine Destivelle

[video=youtube;N70DLM8Az_8]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N70DLM8Az_8[/video]

 

[forrestdweller]

(Lillian Ailing anyone?) .

heard first of her in a book many years ago- wonder what happened to her....

 

[Fraxinus]

There must be many who have never written about or had press coverage of their undertakings. While on Crete I met my mates sister in law who having spent two years teaching English in Hong Kong decided to cycle back home, alone. She stayed with them for part of the summer before continuing her journey. I have great respect for her, not just because of the adventure, she was also a really nice, down to earth person.
Women like her and those others mentioned in the above posts ought to be better recognised as role models as opposed to the likes of a twerking Miley or some drug snorting "celebratory" .

Rob.

 

[Joonsy]

Also Catherine Destivelle

[video=youtube;N70DLM8Az_8]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N70DLM8Az_8[/video]

Incredible video, enjoyed that, thanks for posting it Sandbender what a place and what a woman :Wow:

 

[birchwood]

These are some of my favourites,
Isabella Bird
Gertrude Bell
Freya Stark
Daisy Bates
Robyn Davidson
Christina Dodwell
Dervla Murphy
Polly Evans . Toured NZ on a motorbike
Dorothy Rogers & Louise Ostberg .circumnavigated Africa in a jeep in the 1950s

 

[Dave]

Theres a good film out at the moment, called 'Wild', starring the incomparable Reese Witherspoon, who decided to set off on a bit of a pilgrimage, after her life falls apart, and attempts the Pacific Crest Trail solo.
Good film.

 

[Quixoticgeek]

That was really interesting.

Now I'm not a woman, but it has always puzzled me why most women that I know wouldn't dream of going camping for fear of being attacked in the woods, but those same women will quite happily go into a town centre on a friday night where there are lots of drunk and unpredictable people around. I know which one I consider to be safer. Give me the woods every time.

I was assaulted on the cycle ride out to the woods to bivvi for the night. It has left me a more jumpy, and put me off some trips. The assault happened not 200 yards from home, but it was enough.

I look at the adventures of the likes of Sarah Outen and long to regain the confidence to try just a few of the things she's tried.

I've set myself the challenge of 15 nights wild camping in 2015 (measured winter solstice to winter solstice), in the hope of getting out there. But I've already bottled 4 nights out, due to either weather or fear.

Statistically the woods are safer than the highstreet, but right now, I seem to be avoiding both in the dark.

Julia

 

[tankie]

I think Julia you are going to have to think safety first , i know many people like yourself like to operate soleus , but there is safety in numbers and it is most important that first of all someone knows where you have gone , and also try and take a companion, even i don't like camping on my own, you just don't know what is going to happen.

 

[Quixoticgeek]

I think Julia you are going to have to think safety first , i know many people like yourself like to operate soleus , but there is safety in numbers and it is most important that first of all someone knows where you have gone , and also try and take a companion, even i don't like camping on my own, you just don't know what is going to happen.

Yes there is safety in numbers. But it says something if a woman has to go out with friends cos it's not safe to go alone.

When I head out to the woods I take what I consider reasonable precautions, as detailed in my recent [thread=127980]trip report[/thread] my precautions for heading to the woods with two strangers were:

If you mention to most people the idea of a woman meeting two strangers off the net they would start to get twitchy, mention it's to go camping, and the twitches become expressions of shock. I agree there is some risk in it. But I also think that this risk may be disproportionately viewed, due to exposure bias. This of course doesn't mean that precautions shouldn't be taken to mitigate some of the risk. I let a friend know where I was going, who I was meeting, what the plan was. I had my phone relaying a buddy beacon (which my friend quickly nicknamed a body beacon), so that people knew where I was. When I got in the strangers car, I made a record of the registration number where my friend would be able to find it if a search was needed. I sent regular text messages updating what was going on (subtext, "I'm still alive"). Right upto the point of "I'm on the train home". The reasonable measures I could take. Maybe I could have been more paranoid? But I was happy I was taking an acceptable risk.

When I head out my buddy beacon relays my position every 30 minutes, and I always send a "have made camp" and a "have broken camp" text. If neither of which is sent, the friend knows to start checking up on me.

All of this doesn't stop the irrational thought processes. They laying in bed the night before a trip running over all the options, reliving the assault.

It's not easy.

That said, if anyone in the East Kent area fancies joining me for a night out in the woods, do let me know.

Julia

 

[santaman2000]

Julia, one more thing I'd suggest if you travel and/or camp with someone you've met online. You already have a buddy back home who's monitoring your return; you should also let that buddy accompany you when you go to meet the people you'll be camping with. That way he or she will know what they look like. I'd also suggest that you ask them to show you and your buddy an ID with a picture and their home address to verify they are who they say they are and give the police a place to start looking for you if things don't go well.

That may sound a bit OTT but I should think anyone you're meeting online would understand and not have a problem with it. Indeed, if they do have a problem that should be a red flag.

 

[xylaria]

A few years ago I posted on my facebook page " hi everyone going camp with someone blokes I dont know from the david icke forum. Be back 4pm sunday I will sign in by 7pm." I gave my location. I lived and met some interesting people.

Women are taught to be scared. A woman is significantly more likely to get attacked in thier own home by thier partner than outside by a stranger. I dont go out anywhere as much as I would like, I am street wise in towns but I relax in nature.

 

[Harvestman]

I was assaulted on the cycle ride out to the woods to bivvi for the night. It has left me a more jumpy, and put me off some trips. The assault happened not 200 yards from home, but it was enough.

I look at the adventures of the likes of Sarah Outen and long to regain the confidence to try just a few of the things she's tried.

I've set myself the challenge of 15 nights wild camping in 2015 (measured winter solstice to winter solstice), in the hope of getting out there. But I've already bottled 4 nights out, due to either weather or fear.

Statistically the woods are safer than the highstreet, but right now, I seem to be avoiding both in the dark.

Julia

Julia, wherever it happens, that is a terrible thing. I wish you all the best in your efforts to get out again. You shouldn't have to go with friends for safety, I agree, but on the other hand there is nothing wrong with a little friendly company, and you can look at it as a step on the way. After a trauma like that (and it clearly was, from your reaction) you should go with whatever helps you, and not worry about what anyone else thinks.

All the best,

Mike

 

[Tengu]

I wouldnt feel at all safe with my female friends as they would either

Get drunk
Get scared
Tell Scary Stories
Pull silly pranks

Or possibly all four...

I think if we really were wary of what is dangerous, we would not go out the door. (or stay at home.)