Editor’s Note: The Monthly Pass is a CNN travel series that highlights some of the most fascinating topics in the world of travel. In July, we hike the trails to explore the greatest hikes in the world.
(CNN) – Elise Wortley didn’t set out to be an adventurer. After moving from the countryside of Essex to busy London in 2017 when she was in her 20s and diagnosed with anxiety, she began taking walks to calm her mind.
But his small steps gave way to unexpected adventures.
While reading the Franco-Belgian explorer Alexandra David-Néel, Wortley continued to haunt the details of her groundbreaking trips to Tibet. In addition to hiking, David-Néel camped and slept in the caves for two years, all in the shoes of his era.
“A lot of (female explorers) dressed up as men because it was easier,” explains Wortley. But others have walked, climbed, cycled, camped and more in petticoats – another hurdle these women must overcome in order to be taken seriously and make their dreams come true.
In addition to recreating famous treks, Wortley began looking for the same period-specific clothing and equipment that the women had used to further understand their mindsets.
“I’ve found that I actually understand their reading and writing a lot more now that I’ve done it with the old stuff,” says Wortley.
Wortley wants to encourage other women to experience nature on their own terms, away from the stress of everyday life.
Visiting Iran in the midst of a pandemic is difficult on its own, but tracking down a vintage 1930s Burberry coat to wear for the hike is challenging too.
To follow in the footsteps of Italian-British explorer and travel writer Freya Stark, Wortley had to secure visas and accommodation for her visit to Iran’s Alamut Valley, which is often called the Valley of the Assassins.
But she was determined to do it in the same clothes Stark wrote so passionately about in her travel journals – a 1930s Burberry raincoat the explorer wore on her travels.
It took weeks and a lot of emails to antique clothing collectors, but Wortley finally tracked down one of the coats – along with a matching hat – in time to wear it on his journey.
“It makes you feel a little crazy when you spend most of your hard-earned savings on a 1930s Burberry coat to wear on a crazy trip,” Wortley wrote on Instagram at the time, “but it really felt like the right thing to do. . “
It’s not all. For his David-Néel trip to Tibet, Wortley not only brought his equipment and supplies with him, but he brought along a 1920s-style wicker chair, just like the one his inspiration had brought. herself.
Where the road leads
Wortley says he has a list of “about 150” adventurers whose journeys he would like to follow. See the article : Americans’ top post-pandemic travel priorities. But considering she pays for most of her travels herself – she has attracted some sponsorships from brands like North Face and Clinique in recent times – she must be judicious about which ones to pursue next.
The pandemic has only made it more difficult. A trip closer to home was a hike up Ben Nevis, the UK’s highest peak, which replicated a journey by writer and explorer Nan Shepherd.
Shepherd, a Scottish woman who lived through most of the 20th century, is best known for her book “The Living Mountain”, in which she passionately writes and texts about people who connect with the outdoors.
It was Shepherd’s words that Wortley had in mind as he watched the hikers trying to get to the top of Ben Nevis as quickly as possible just to say they had been.
He points out how much of “exploratory” literature is about bragging rights, with mostly white men from the West who mean they were the first person to go somewhere, climb something, or name a place. In fact, some male explorers would no longer visit an area once the women had been there, claiming that its beauty had been ruined or the thrill had worn off.
Wortley says he has a list of “about 150” adventurers whose journeys he would like to follow.
More feet on the trail
She caters to local women to join her on some or all excursions, depending on their comfort level, and raises awareness about the history of adventuring women. This may interest you : Why the baby boomers dominate American politics.
While traveling, Wortley tries to hire a local female guide. This can be daunting, as many of these areas are sparsely populated.
For his trip to India, Wortley found local guide Nadia through Intrepid Travel, a company founded in the UK for which he has worked in the past.
Meanwhile, while planning his expedition to Ben Nevis, Wortley was using Jane Inglis Clark as his inspiration. Clark co-founded the Ladies’ Scottish Climbing Club, believed to be the oldest all-female climbing club in the world in 1908. Wortley contacted current club members – who still organize hikes and walks today – as well as descendants of original members to find his travel companions.
However, the idea of a multi-day hike through the Himalayas with a chair strapped to the back might scare some people off to go outdoors. Wortley says that while she enjoys challenging herself, the most important thing about her job is that the world belongs to everyone.
“These women were tough,” says Wortley, “but you don’t have to be fit to get out of nature or have a little adventure.”
Its goal? Encourage other women to experience nature on their own terms, away from the stress of everyday life.
“On a trip, I literally only had my notebook to write on. So I really learned to sit and stand. I would love to do that, actually – it brings out a lot of people, maybe people obsessed with their phones or social media and stuff. like that, just put all the phones in one box overnight and let people sit back and slow down. “
