Adventurer Elise Wortley has hiked in the Himalayas wearing a yak coat, trekked through Iran in a 1930s Burberry mac (and a mule at her side), and braved the Scottish Highlands in a 1940s cotton skirt and hobnail boots.
This is because she’s on a mission to recover the lost stories of history’s female explorers. So much so, she makes her travels all the more authentic by using identical clothing and equipment – including a wooden backpack and a battered linen tent.
‘I always say I’m a bit of an accidental adventurer,’ Elise, 34, tells Metro.
‘When I was 16, I read a book called My Journey to Lhasa by Alexandra David-Néel. She was an incredible female explorer in the early 1900s, and the first Western woman to meet the Dalai Lama. She learned Tibetan, and travelled for 14 years through Asia, all at a time when women traditionally stayed at home.
‘Even as a teenager I thought, “why have I never heard of her?”’
From Christopher Columbus and his four voyages across the Atlantic Ocean to Bear Grylls drinking pee to survive on a deserted island, there’s little doubt, experts say, that the adventure industry is something of a celebrated men’s club.
However at Moosey Gallery, tucked away on an Islington side street in London, an inspiring group of female adventurers, including Elise, are trying to change that.
Together they recently met to share their experiences about how travel has shaped their lives.
Elise says that she suffered such severe anxiety in her twenties that getting on a bus or leaving the house could be an adventure in itself. But in her darkest of days, the journeys of Alexandra David-Néel’s were a beacon of light.
‘I thought, “when I’m better, I’m going to be like her”,’ recalls Elise, fromEssex. ‘When I was 27, I re-read the book and just thought “I’m going to do this.”
And she did, travelling the globe in her unique style. Today, Elise admits she is now ‘addicted’ to the great outdoors and the peace it brings, and has even taken part in Channel 4 show ‘Alone’, where she survived for weeks in the Canadian wilderness.
With a growing list of female adventures of old, she is determined to bring their stories to life through her travels.
‘Everyone knows Shackleton and Mallory, but we rarely hear about the women who did just as amazing journeys as the men did,’ explains Elise. ‘A lot of them died in the shadows.’
Dr Adele Doran, an academic at Sheffield Hallam University, knows the situation too well. Her research has centred around the barriers facing women seeking adventure in the past, and the opportunities left to be explored in the future.
‘From my own research, and anecdotally, men are still the gatekeepers,’ Adele tells Metro.
‘There’s this idea that in order for adventure to sell, we’ve got to put this white, able-bodied hetereosexual man at the centre of it.
‘There is work being done to change this, but there’s certainly more to do, as the demand is there.’
Research from travel operator Intrepid Travel, reveals that more than two thirds of women would describe themselves as adventurous. In fact, they have been inundated by women seeking out female guides to take them off the beaten track in countries across the globe.
However, for as many who are keen for adventure, almost the same amount admit to being routinely put off, citing safety, family commitments and cost, as hurdles.
56-year-old Hafida Hdoubane is another adventurer keen to break stereotypes. She became Morocco’s first female mountain guide three decades ago and has since slept under the stars more times than she can count.
Her adventures include climbing Toubkal, the highest peak in North Africa, hundreds of times and exploring remote corners of Morocco to connect with forgotten communities.
Yet despite her credentials, Hafida tells Metro that she still faces backlash.
‘I surprise some people. There is a tradition that some women should be at home with the babies,’ she explains.
‘So when men see what I am doing, they are shocked or jealous. They think “she does not look strong”, “she does not look muscular”, “why does she do this work?” But those attitudes don’t make me weak. They make me stronger.’
Hafida grew up in a working class family in Morocco and is the oldest of six sisters; her dad having been disappointed not to have sons. She studied tourism at Morocco’s University of New England and, when she finished at 7pm each day, she would head to work as a housekeeper to make money.
During her time at university, Hafida travelled to Barcelona with friends and then hiked through the Montserrat and Pyrenees mountain ranges.
‘I did training from the beginning to learn about my mountains. I would ride mules, cook for people who visited the area, learn about mountain biking…’ she explains. ‘After one year of training, I went to do an exam at the M’Goun valley in Morocco. There were maybe 400 men, and only four women.’
An intensive three day-test followed, where wannabee guides had to show they could survive and improvise in the rugged Moroccan mountains. Hafida was the only woman to pass.
Today, the single mum spends most of her time outside of Marrakech leading all-women tours for groups such as Peak DMC, Intrepid Travel’s local operator.
‘You don’t have to be a gnarly man with a beard to climb the highest mountains’
Television presenter Louse Minchin has taken on a triathlon in Chile, braved a freezing swim to Alcatraz and ventured into the I’m A Celebrity Jungle – to name just a few of her adventurers.
‘You don’t need to be a gnarly man with a beard to climb the highest mountains’, Louise told Metro at an Intrepid Travel exhibition at Moosey Gallery, where she spoke with other female adventurers.
‘We don’t need our heroes to all look the same. We need them to be different sexes, from different backgrounds, have different work, all so people can see themselves and go “I want to do that, I can be like that.” You ask any woman here what adventure means to them and you see their face change. A smile spreads over their face.’
In a bid to amplify ‘hidden’ female voices, Louise wrote Fearless Adventures with Extraordinary Women, a book which features 18 uplifting stories. The initial inspiration came from the BBC Breakfast studio where, with ‘a bowl of porridge in one hand and scripts in the other’ she realised how often she’d interviewed male adventurers and how little she knew about their female counterparts.
‘I still don’t think we’re celebrating the female stories of courage and bravery in the same way we do men,’ Louise, 55, continues.
‘I can’t answer the question why, all I can do is go out there and shout about these women as much as I can.’
So, there are clearly countless women taking on incredible feats. Why are their stories not reaching the general public? Part of the reason is visibility.
Research from Intrepid Travel found that only 26 of 101 travel shows available to stream on the two leading TV channels including a female presenter. This lack of representation is also part of the problem, explains Adele.
‘A lot of women don’t see themselves as adventurers, but it doesn’t have to mean summiting a mountain in treacherous conditions, going to dangerous places or feeling scared. Adventure is in the eye of the beholder,’ she says.
‘It can be about reconnecting with nature, visiting a new destination, or trying a new activity, all of which can enhance your physical health and mental wellbeing. Adventure could be going to the local park with your dog, exploring the Peak District, or going paddleboard with a mate.
‘Hearing so many different stories from women who have defied the odds and carved their own way in adventure settings across the globe is really inspiring – they are pioneers.’
Do you have a story you’d like to share? Get in touch by emailing Kirsten.Robertson@metro.co.uk
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