Fear - A Woman's Place in the Outdoors

“Aren’t you afraid?”

“Of what? Bears? Mountain Lions?”

“No, aren’t you afraid of other people?” 

I’ve gotten this question enough to try to think of a good answer. As a solo female traveler, it seems that the only question I get is why am I not afraid to venture out alone? It’s never about the hike, the views, or the sheer happiness I feel. It’s always about fear.

We’ve been constantly taught to never be alone, especially women. We must travel in packs, we must always keep our guard up, we must always be prepared to defend ourselves but above all, we shouldn’t be without the protection of a male figure.

Now, I bring this up mostly because I know from my experience talking to other solo female hikers, the number one thing they are told is that they shouldn’t or can’t live a life outdoors/in the backcountry. That the fear of the unknown is the ultimate reason why they shouldn’t chase after their passions. 

If I’m being completely honest this question slightly bothers me, it places the burden of the problem on women to not place themselves in ‘dangerous’ situations rather than tackle the actual problem of the normalization of violence against women. Why are we so accepting that women are at risk when they are by themselves? Why do we teach women to make themselves seem more intimidating rather than address the reason for these fears in the first place?

So, my answer to this question is that I shouldn’t have to be asked this question. 

This is not our burden to bear. 

There are many things in the world that offer some form of risk, no matter where you are or the situation you’re in. You are always at risk. What if instead of looking at something as being impossible because of the risks associated with it, we ask ourselves why we feel we’re not capable of overcoming it? 

I’m tired of women being told they are too feminine to be in the outdoors. That they aren’t strong enough. That they aren’t smart enough. That they aren’t resourceful enough. That they aren’t brave enough. That they aren’t courageous enough. 

Don’t get me wrong; be prepared, be smart but, don’t let the fear of what could go wrong stop you from doing what you truly want to do. I definitely do have fears (mostly of snakes, injuries, and forgetting my Clif bar at home) but that’s never going to stop me from pursuing adventure and it shouldn’t stop you either. Women, we need to have each other’s back on the trail but we need a society that has our back too.

Stay Lovely,

Nicole