Women In The Outdoors: What We Love And What We Don't
/WRITTEN by ANNE ENSOLL & OUR CONTRIBUTORS
This post was originally planned for International Women’s Day on 8th March, but life had other plans. Alice Kerr and Esther Foster are on our freelance team, Sue James is a member of our mentoring programme, and Lucy Pearson is also a mentee, and one of our successful Mountain Leader assessees.
Alice Kerr
How did you get into outdoor activities?
Growing up on a hill farm in the Yorkshire Dales, I was brought up in the outdoors. I spent as much time as possible outside, exploring and getting very muddy. My interest in outdoor activities specifically was more of an accident than anything. At school I really disliked playing netball and, after messing around a little too much for the coach’s patience, I was banned from netball, and banished to the fell running club with the boys. This, it turned out, was one of the best things that happened to me at school. I fell in love with fell running instantly; the hills, the freedom, the strive of the uphill, the adrenaline of the descent; I loved it. Since then, my journey into other outdoor activities – scrambling, rock climbing, mountain biking, skiing and swimming – went from one sport and passion to another. I revelled in the independence and freedom that I was learning to gain through outdoor activities.
How do you use the outdoors now?
Almost every aspect of my life is dominated by the outdoors. Work, play and living. I work in the hills, teaching and guiding others around the amazing features and sports that the outdoors has to offer. When I’m not at work, I can nearly always be found bumbling around with my dog, Archie, or running and biking around the local hills.
What is your biggest outdoor passion?
I think it has to be running on technical terrain. I just love being able to move around hills and mountains, seeking out ridges, scrambles and easy climbs. The ability to move fast and light over hilly terrain is an enormous privilege and each time I get out I am so grateful to be out there enjoying the hills, whatever the weather chucks at me.
What is your biggest outdoor irritation?
Hmm…. I’m not actually sure about this one. The main thing that can really set me off on a rant (sorry friends!) is finding litter out in the hills; especially banana skins. For some reason, I find these much more frustrating to find out in the outdoors than many other types of litter. I wish people knew that you can’t just chuck banana skins onto the floor, they stay there for so long and whilst people are happy to pick up a stray chocolate wrapper, very few people are happy picking up old banana skins. So don’t drop them when I’m around, or I’ll send you after it, getting you to pick up all the others whilst you’re at it!
Sue James
How did you get into outdoor activities?
My mum was a horse rider and so as a child I learnt to ride and went on riding holidays, getting used to being pretty wet and cold at times. She also enjoyed walking on places like Exmoor and Shropshire, but not on the higher hills, and being a Girl Guide I enjoyed camping with most of our camps being of a basic nature - a farmer's field with a tap, and cooking on wood fires. At the age of 16 my school started doing the Duke of Edinburgh award... it took some time getting past the 'no - you'll fall off a mountain and kill yourself' viewpoint of my mum!
DofE Silver achieved, then Gold a few years later, and onto doing the Girlguiding walking scheme, becoming involved in helping run DofE (mainly expeditions) and then helping with hillwalking with the Scouts. Licensing of outdoor activities then appeared and with the thought it might be imposed on the voluntary sector I went and got my Summer Mountain Leader in 1995, completed my Winter Mountain Leader training and International Mountain Leader training as they looked interesting and comprehensive skill courses. I went on to qualify as an International Mountain Leader on the last assessment on the old scheme in 2008 as it would enable me to be a Course Director for Hill & Moorland Leader.
How do you use the outdoors now?
For personal enjoyment, as well as sssessor / trainer / supervisor for the Girlguiding walking scheme, Scouts Hillwalking Scheme, Duke of Edinburgh's award as well as other groups and clubs.
What is your biggest outdoor passion?
Teaching and assessing walking skills at all levels up to Mountain Leader. Giving people the skills so that they can enjoy our hills and mountains safely, be this personally or enabling them to lead others.
What is your biggest outdoor irritation?
Macho attitudes on the hill, usually from men .... walking people into the ground on training courses so they are not learning, over ambitious routes not adjusted to the complete group and putting people off going out again, and personally being repeatedly told to 'keep up' as I 'could be given a group of PE students and I needed to be able to keep up with them' and so needing to be virtually jogging in crampons to achieve this.
Esther Foster
How did you get into outdoor activities?
I was brought up in a fairly active family, and we often spent holidays camping, walking and visiting rural areas of the UK. Despite this, I hadn’t really learnt many outdoor skills for myself, and didn’t even learn to read a map until I was at university. I was first introduced to climbing as a child through visits to outdoor centres, but didn’t really realise that I could pursue it for myself on a regular basis until a local youth group started to take us to an indoor climbing wall each week. My passion for climbing, for the challenge, the creative movement, the people and the adventure, just grew from there, and the thought of studying something academic at university seemed very boring in comparison! I decided to do an Outdoor Studies degree in the Lake District so that I could spend lots of time climbing and being outdoors, and the rest is history!
How do you use the outdoors now?
I have now climbed for 17 years, and still have the same passion for it! Climbing is so varied, and there is so much to do, that most of us never get bored. I am also privileged to share my passion with others through my work, and especially enjoy coaching and teaching others, and seeing them progress. I work partly for myself and partly for other people and organisations, delivering bespoke climbing and mountaineering tuition, skills courses and coaching, and training and assessing NGB awards. I particularly like that climbing, mountaineering and the outdoors offers something for everyone, whether it’s about skill development, physical health, therapeutic benefits, friendships or environmental awareness.
What is your biggest outdoor passion?
As a woman in the outdoors, I’m cautious to make sweeping statements as we have all had different experiences. I came along at a time where women and girls were being encouraged to participate more and take leaderships roles, and so have always felt welcomed and encouraged. However, I’d argue that it has been important for me to ensure that I have a really high skill level and lots of confidence, as I can’t get away with looking like the stereotypical big, strong, rugged outdoor man! I have spent most of my personal and work life in male dominated environments, and although I am happy with how I fit in, when I do get the opportunity to spend time working and climbing with other women, or teaching all-women groups, it really is refreshing, beneficial and inspiring.
What is your biggest outdoor irritation?
Although we like to think of ourselves as environmentally conscious, those of us that work and play lots in the outdoors are highly dependant on cars, and often take multiple flights a year for personal trips. I enjoy working and climbing in different locations, and so end up travelling a lot of miles each year. Public transport is often poor in rural locations, but I really hope that we can work out ways to help us be less dependant on individual vehicles. Places like the Lake District have real problems with traffic and parking, and it would be amazing to see the national parks doing something radical to manage these issues!
Lucy Pearson
How did you get into outdoor activities?
From an early age I was exposed to the outdoors. Living in the rural North Pennines was the ideal place to explore and enjoy the outdoors. I had always been a bit of a tomboy so being outdoors for me was the norm, exploring, walking and climbing trees, every memory I have relates to being outdoors in all weather.
At a very young age I was exposed to walking trips and experienced camping with both of my parents and aged seven did some sections of the Lyke Wake Walk in North Yorkshire with my dad who had completed this twice before.
As a product of the 1970’s and long before we were surrounded by the technical gear that we have today, our many trips in the Vauxhall Chevette and Viva (Google these if you are under 35!) involved an old canvas ridge tent, the huge gas stove and what seemed to be endless porridge eating. Distant memories of putting the tent together jamming my small fingers with the thick metal poles with two springs in each end and hitting tent pegs with a large wooden mallet. For “warmth” overnight, a nylon sleeping bag that lit up with static electricity and was nowhere near the luxury of my current down bag coupled with a thick hand knitted “camping” jumper that was wheeled out every trip to keep you warm.
Aged thirteen I was very fortunate to have the opportunity to spend a weekend away with other teenagers on a walking trip to the Lake District staying at Helvellyn youth hostel in Glenridding. This was my first real insight into youth hostelling and also walking at any height as we tackled Striding Edge and Sharp Edge with teenage enthusiasm and zero fear. This weekend and my love of reading Arthur Ransome’s Swallows and Amazons once again reinforced my love for the outdoors and the Lake District fells.
Once I started sixth form I was fortunate to meet more like minded people along with a dynamic and enthusiastic physics teacher, who took us out on expeditions and trips. I distinctly remember a trip to a local outdoor shop in the now infamous Barnard Castle to buy kit, a head torch complete with an enormous battery pack that would give anyone an aching neck and be laughed at now on the hill, a Vango sleeping bag and Suunto compass all of which I still have to this day. In October 1988 we had a long weekend travelling by minibus to the Cairngorms to experience and enjoy Cairngorm, Cairn Toul, Briarach and Ben Macdui spotting the odd reindeer en route. This was followed by a December camping and walking trip to the Lake District staying at Sykeside. The forecast from my diary for December 1988 was as follows: “The area will be affected by a cold front bringing heavy rain in the valley bottom and snow above 400m. It will be cold and windy”. IT WAS WORSE!
In July 1989 we set off on a five day expedition to the Central Highlands to Ben Alder and Rannoch Moor. Glorious weather, the added ‘luxury’ away from our tents and staying in Culra bothy and Ben Alder cottage and swimming in Loch Ericht. This was followed by a trip to the Isle of Skye in May 1990 and another unforgettable experience. The time spent with friends and inspirational people was the start of my real love and passion for the outdoors. This moulded who and what I am today and what I believe and this passion has been shared with friends and passed down to my teenage children who have in turn both followed on with the love of the outdoors, bagging Munros and Wainwrights and completing all Duke of Edinburgh awards.
How do you use the outdoors now?
On a personal level I continue to enjoy the solidarity of walking alone with my two border collie dogs, Floss and Jem, or with friends and colleagues whilst still enjoying learning, attending mountain training courses with Chris Ensoll Mountain Guide which have added not only to my enjoyment but also my confidence and skill set in the outdoors. I believe like many, that being outdoors, enjoying the magnificence of nature really does heal the mind and soul. A bad day can easily become an inspirational and amazing day when you allow yourself to immerse yourself and allow yourself to be exposed to nature and the elements.
Through my school and youth work I operate the John Muir Award, outdoor education as an extra-curricular activity and the DofE award in my local area. I have been involved with DofE for many years now and have had the enjoyment of Bronze, Silver and Gold groups being out on expedition. I tailor the expeditions to suit the group and latterly have worked with many young people who have additional needs but have the resilience and fortitude to complete their awards despite many hurdles they have had to overcome.
Moving on from this and largely because of my time with these young people my intention is to continue to work with young people with the aim of giving opportunities for young people in the outdoors particularly those who are often at the margins of society to encourage them to get outside and enjoy the outdoor environment.
What is your biggest outdoor passion?
I love the feeling of open space, of being outdoors whatever the weather and exploring new areas. Reaching the summit is always a bonus but is not always a necessity as the satisfaction of merely reaching the end goal or simply spending time outdoors is enough. I have so much to still see and do and I’m currently making plans for summer 2021 with some friends for an expedition to spend four weeks in Scotland, Covid permiting!
What is your biggest outdoor irritation?
My major irk is lack of respect for others and the environment, whether that is ridiculous parking so as to hinder others, littering, lighting fires and the fact that some individuals really think it a hardship to take out their rubbish in whatever form. This blatant disregard for the environment and lack of empathy with their surroundings is an irritation and really is such an easy fix. We should be conscious of our own actions and always aim to leave the world a little better than we found it.
What about you?
If you’re a woman who loves the outdoors, we’d really like to hear about your outdoor passions and irritations. Leave a comment below - we’re looking forward to hearing from you!
