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by Natalie

5 Lessons Learned the Hard Way as an Outdoorsy Woman

I’m sharing these five lessons that I have learned in my 20+ years working as an outdoor guide, educator, risk manger, search and rescue team member, park ranger and wilderness medicine course provider. Suffice it to say that I’ve been around the block. Working the desirable and undesirable jobs. Always along side men, rarely with any others. I always wished I could have had a female mentor. I’ve learned a lot, the hard way. Let me spare you some challenges with these key lessons:

DON’T TAKE THE BACKSEAT

BELIEVE IN YOUR INSTINCTS

LEARN THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SHADOW AND REAL FEAR

TAKE CONTROL OF YOUR KNOWLEDGE

DON’T DO THINGS LIKE A MAN

in Mountain Technique

by Natalie

The Beginners Guide to Climbing Mountains

Getting to the top of a mountain and capturing the surrounding views can be an incredibly rewarding experience! In fact, the physical challenges and feelings of accomplishment are so great that you may find yourself wanting to climb more peaks and bigger mountains. For some this can lead them on a journey that culminates on Mount Everest! But, nobody starts with climbing the highest mountain in the world. We start with a dream of a mountain. This blog post is full of mountain climbing basics to turn your dream of a mountain summit into actionable steps to get you up the mountain.

by Natalie

Managing Risks in the Mountains

Adventuring in the outdoors requires almost constant risk management skills, and I’ve spent decades creating systems and structures to do so. Today I want to talk about these systems and how I use them in the mountains.

I was recently on a trip to Colorado where I went to climb a 14’er by myself. On my way down, a horrified hiker appeared, commenting that I shouldn’t have hiked in the dark, by myself, when there are mountain lions. It caught me off guard; I was being questioned about my risk management. And, of course, when you have weird interactions with people, you always think of all the right things to say later.

in Mountain Technique

by Natalie

Why I love Antarctica

Reason # 1

The continent itself.

Antarctica has to be one of the least accessible places in the world. Just being here and getting to stand on the continent is a pretty special feeling. Knowing that I get to see things most people will never have a chance to see. My very first season I worked at the South Pole station. As I flew from McMurdo (the main station) to the pole, I could hardly comprehend the scale of what I saw. At times glaciers span practically to the horizon on both sides. There were so many more dramatic peaks and valleys than I had imagined.

in Mountain Technique / Trip Reports