The Adventure Girls' Club | Women in the Wilderness

23rd December 2024 | Interview by Dave Hamilton | Pictures courtesy of Alice Keegan and Claire Latchem

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It may come as no surprise that study after study has found simply spending time in nature not only keeps us fit, but it can also help alleviate both physical and mental illnesses. From diabetes and heart disease to depression and anxiety, a little bit of nature therapy can be all we need to chase the blues away.

Self-made woman and outdoor adventurer, Alice Keegan understands more than most about some of the barriers preventing women from experiencing the great outdoors. CEO of the Adventure Girls' Club, Alice left the rat race to start up her own company which allows women to gain confidence and learn the skills needed to experience the outdoors. Always working at their own pace, members of the club are encouraged to gently leave their comfort zones in order to gain new experiences, empower themselves, and forge new friendships with like-minded women.

Starting up

Alice’s first career was in graphic design, but something about the job never felt right. She would find herself feeling anxious or depressed, with a nagging sense that there was more to life than sitting in front of a Mac. Come lockdown, these feelings grew, and once restrictions were lifted, she found herself increasingly drawn to the wild. Taking part in group hikes and solo adventures, she began to share her adventures on Instagram, and, with her approachable, inclusive style, she soon saw interest take off.

Although the Adventure Girls' Club was never a premeditated plan, the genesis for the company began as her social media profile grew. Alice began to hear from women from all over the world and all kinds of backgrounds. Again and again, she heard the same thing. There was a real lack of confidence, which seemed to transcend the COVID-19 wobble and the adjustment back to everyday life that most of us experienced post-lockdown. Many women felt they lacked the experience, the knowledge, or even the kit to head into the great unknown.

The underlying message she found was that a lot of women didn’t feel the outdoors was for them. A recent study from Portland University agreed with Alice’s observations, finding that perceived gender roles for outdoor recreation can have deep roots. Boys are often encouraged to play outdoors whilst girls play inside. This can lead to a skills gap. As Alice puts it: “Young females are given very few opportunities to harness skills in the outdoor and athletic realm.”

Fear and personal safety

Compounding this lack of confidence, women also spoke about wider safety issues, something which – let’s face it – most men rarely experience. A 2012 report into ‘Women and the Wild’ found that the threat of violence was an ever-present worry for women even in the most remote places, and they perceived the outdoors as “significantly less safe than their male counterparts.”

Alice understands this fear; she’s experienced it herself and heard from many women who have had bad experiences, with some literally running for their cars as they cut their hikes short.

Women only

Alice signed up to do a mountain leadership course. She’d been taking friends and family out on walks long before COVID-19, but the course, along with other group hikes, opened her up to a large mix of people of both sexes.

Alice found a lot of like-minded men, but she did find a minority who felt they needed to over-explain the simplest thing, dominate the group, or set a pace which would be far too fast for some of the other members.

“On my hikes, we always walk at the speed of the slowest walker. We don’t want anyone getting the sense they are slowing the group down.”

There were other issues too. Although she stresses that the majority of the men were considerate, she does recall one man who made all the women of the group feel uncomfortable with his behaviour.

On a solo wild camp, she mulled over the problems women face, especially in mixed groups. A safe space where they could walk at their own pace, simply be themselves, and enjoy the outdoors was clearly necessary, and the seeds for the Adventure Girls' Club were sown.

What can men do?

Understanding the issues women face, I asked what the best thing is men can do when encountering a lone female hiker.

“My advice to men would be to keep it light and brief. A short chat about the weather or the route – nothing too intense. But every woman is different. Personally, a brief chat means I know the guy isn’t a creep. There is nothing worse than walking with a lone guy behind you who is not saying anything.”

“There was one wild camping trip where a guy was camping really near; we talked about places to pitch and even watched the sunset together. But then with other guys, it’s easy to feel like you may have been too friendly, perhaps led them on when you didn’t mean to. It’s a balance; it’s just best to think through how your actions might be interpreted. I once had two guys walk past my tent with a machete to gather wood, which was a terrifying sight when there is no one else for miles around!”

Taking the positives

Since setting up the Adventure Girls’ Club, Alice has seen real and often profound changes in her members.

“I’ve had women contact me suffering from extreme agoraphobia; they simply couldn’t leave the house. They plucked up the courage to come on a hike and are now taking solo hikes up Snowdon [Yr Wyddfa]. People come to deal with anxiety, grief, separations, medical conditions. Being outdoors and seeing nature can be an emotional experience; some women break down in tears just because they feel safe and accepted in the group.”

Next steps

I spoke to Alice about what might come next for the Adventure Girls' Club. “I would like to do more international hikes and perhaps expand a little more around the country”, she says.

Currently, many of her shorter day hikes are focused in and around the South West of England, in the counties of Somerset, Wiltshire, and Dorset. There are trips in the diary in Yorkshire, Cornwall, and Snowdonia, but members of the club get the most benefits if they live in the South West; this is something she’d like to change.

“I’d also like to write a book. I have a design background, and much of the publicity is there already; it’s just a matter of finding the time!”

Find out more

Alice runs short day hikes in the South West, as well as longer weekend trips away in places further afield. She also teaches navigation skills, wild camping skills, takes out groups on full moon hikes and has the occasional group trip abroad. To find out more or to book on one of her courses or hikes, visit www.theadventuregirls.club or follow @theadventuregirlsclub on Instagram.

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Dave Hamilton is a photographer, forager and explorer of historic sites and natural places. A father of two boys, he writes for BBC Wildlife, Countryfile, and Walk magazines.