With summer approaching, more people are heading out to seek adventure.
In the case of walkers, this often means literally following in the footsteps of male pioneers. There are countless hiking trails based on the paths of conquerors, philosophers and male saints. However, few hiking trails are dedicated to women, discovered researcher Brigitte Ars of the Academy for Tourism at Breda University of Applied Sciences (BUas) in the Netherlands.
This prompted Ars to explore women’s trails in more depth. In her book Het Wilde Vrouwenpad. Avontuurlijke wandel [The Wild Women’s Trail. Adventure Walks], the journalist and adventurer takes the reader along trails that are connected to free-spirited women from history.
She walked the Dorothy Wordsworth Walking Trail (England), Brigid’s Way (Ireland), the Astrid Lindgren Trail (Sweden) and the Via Matildica (Italy), among others. She also discovered the influence of adventure hiking on the resilience of women.
Outdoor adventure gives women a sense of freedom and self-confidence, according to previous research by Ars in collaboration with BUas.
Adventure walking, which involves doing something new and take on challenges, is becoming increasingly popular among women. Yet they still often face obstacles when they want to go on a solo walk, Ars said. She noted that women she talked to are concerned with what others think, and the effect on family, for example.
Ars is a lecturer and researcher in tourism at BUas. She is also an ambassador for Adventure Mind, a British organisation that researches the positive impact of adventure on mental health.
