Adventurer Elise Wortley has been hiking in the Himalayas dressed in a yak coat, passed through Iran in a 1930s Burberry mac (and a mule by her side), and braved the Scottish highlands in a 1940s cotton skirt and studded boots.
This is because she is on a mission to recover the lost stories of history female explorers. So much so that 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' Elise34, says 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 20th century and the first Western woman to meet the Dalai Lama. She learned Tibetan and traveled through Asia for fourteen years, at a time when women traditionally stayed at home.
'As a teenager I thought: why have I never heard of her?'
From Christopher Columbus and his four voyages across the Atlantic Ocean Ocean to Bear Grylls pee to survive On a desert island, there is little doubt, experts say, that the adventure industry is something of a celebrated men's club.
But at Moosey Gallery, tucked away on a side street in London's Islington, an inspiring group of female adventurers, including Elise, are trying to change that.
Together they recently met to share their experiences about how traveling has shaped their lives.
Elise says that in her twenties she suffered from anxiety so much that getting on the bus or leaving the house could be an adventure in itself. But in her darkest days, Alexandra David-Néel's travels were a beacon of light.
'I thought, 'When I get better I'll be just like them,'” Elise, from Essex, remembers. 'When I was 27, I read the book again and thought: this is what I'm going to do.'
And she did just that, traveling the world in her unique style. These days, Elise admits she is now 'addicted' to the outdoors the peace it bringsand even participated in it Channel 4 show 'Alone', where she survived for weeks in the Canadian wilderness.
With a growing list of female adventures from the past, she is determined to bring their stories to life through her travels.
'Everybody knows Shackleton and Mallory, but we rarely hear about the women who have had as amazing journeys as the men,” Elise explains. “Many of them died in the shadows.”
Dr. Adele Doran, an academic at Sheffield Hallam University, knows the situation all too well. Her research has focused on the barriers they face women looking for adventure in the past, and the possibilities we can explore in the future.
“My own research shows that men are still the gatekeepers,” Adele tells Metro.
“There's this idea that if we want to sell adventure, we have to put this white, able-bodied, heterosexual man at the center.
“Work is underway to change this, but there is certainly more to do as the demand is there.”
Research by travel organizer Intrepid Travel shows that more than two-thirds of women would do so describe themselves as adventurous. In fact, they are inundated with women looking for female guides to take them off the beaten path in countries around the world.
But nearly the same number of adventure-seeking people admit to being routinely put off, citing safety, family commitments and costs as obstacles.
56 years old Hafida Hdoubane is another adventurer eager to break stereotypes. She became Morocco's first female mountain guide thirty years ago and has since slept under the stars more times than she can count.
Her adventures include Climb Toubkalthe highest mountain in North Africa, hundreds of times and exploring remote corners of Morocco to connect with forgotten communities.
But despite her credentials, Hafida tells Metro she still faces backlash.
'I surprise some people. There is a tradition that some women have to be at home with the babies,” she explains.
'So when men see what I do, they are shocked or jealous. They think “she doesn't look strong”, “she doesn't look muscular”, “why is she doing this job?” But that attitude doesn't make me weak. They make me stronger.'
Hafida grew up in a working-class family in Morocco and is the eldest of six sisters; her father was disappointed that he had no sons. She studied tourism at the Moroccan University of New England and when she finished at 7 p.m. every day, she worked as a housekeeper to earn money.
During her time in college, Hafida traveled to Barcelona with friends and then walked through the mountain ranges of Montserrat and the Pyrenees.
'I have trained from the beginning to get to know my mountains. I rode mules, cooked for people visiting the area, learned about mountain biking…” she explains. 'After a year of training, I went to take the exam in the M'Goun Valley in Morocco. There were perhaps four hundred men and only four women.”
An intensive three-day test followed, during which wannabee guides had to demonstrate that they could survive and improvise in the rugged Moroccan mountains. Hafida was the only woman who passed.
These days, the single mother spends most of her time outside Marrakech leading women-only trips for groups such as Peak DMC, Intrepid Travel's local operator.
'You don't have to be a gnarled man with a beard to climb the highest mountains'
Television presenter Louse Minchin has accepted a triathlon in Chile, defied an icy cold plunge to Alcatraz and ventured in the I'm a celebrity jungle – to name just a few of her adventurers.
“You don't have to be a gnarly bearded man to climb the highest mountains,” Louise told Metro at an Intrepid Travel exhibition at Moosey Gallery, where she spoke to other female adventurers.
'It's not necessary for our heroes to all look the same. We need them from different genders, from different backgrounds, from different jobs, so that people can see themselves and say, “I want to do that, I can be like that.” You ask every woman here what adventure means to them and you see their face change. A smile appears on their faces.'
In an effort to amplify 'hidden' female voices, Louise wrote Fearless adventures with extraordinary women, a book with 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 realized how many times she had interviewed male adventurers and how little she knew about their female counterparts.
“I still don't think we celebrate female stories of courage in the same way as men,” Louise, 55, continues.
'I cannot 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 achieving incredible feats. Why don't their stories reach the general public? Part of the reason is visibility.
Research from Intrepid Travel has found that only 26 out of 101 travel shows are available to stream on the two leading TV channels, including a female presenter. This lack of representation is also part of the problem, Adele explains.
'Many women don't see themselves as adventurers, but that doesn't have to mean climbing a mountain in treacherous conditions, going to dangerous places or feeling scared. Adventure is in the eye of the beholder,” she says.
'It could be about reconnecting with nature, visiting a new destination or trying a new activity, all of which can improve your physical health and mental wellbeing. An adventure could be taking your dog to the local parkexploring the Peak District, or go paddle boarding with a partner.
'It's really inspiring to hear so many different stories from women who have defied all odds and found their own way in adventurous environments around the world – they are pioneers.'
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