Thought this was an interesting article about all-women adventure trips. Also gets into a little about the dynamic of an all-women group:
https://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26425662/
https://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26425662/
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All-Female (i.e. Girl Power) Adventure Trips
- Thread starter Kriss240
- Start date
tradygirl
Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Good article - I like the comment at the end about women not really feeling empowered until the men aren't around. You don't really realize the little things the guys are always doing for you, or even how much you depend on them "knowing what to do". I realized at the end of last winter that 99% of the time I wasn't part of the route decision-making process on ski tours because all the guys (the majority, of course) already had it figured out. I just followed them like I always do without even realizing my lack of power.
Getting out on an adventure with just girls makes this dynamic blatantly obvious, and it's really fun to see how women come into their own in terms of decision-making and confidence in their skills. I think it's even more fun doing trips without a guide, because usually the guide becomes the replacement "object of authority" that all the girls cower to. Without a guide, everyone has to depend on their own skills, and really see what they're made of.
(Of course, if you're doing an activity you're not familiar with, by all means get a guide!! :D)
Getting out on an adventure with just girls makes this dynamic blatantly obvious, and it's really fun to see how women come into their own in terms of decision-making and confidence in their skills. I think it's even more fun doing trips without a guide, because usually the guide becomes the replacement "object of authority" that all the girls cower to. Without a guide, everyone has to depend on their own skills, and really see what they're made of.
(Of course, if you're doing an activity you're not familiar with, by all means get a guide!! :D)
Some of my best days on the bike this season involved girls-only bike trips. They weren't even intended that way but some of the girls I race with (myself included) are more into racing than our husbands and we took off on some out of state trips without them. And it was awesome.
The ultra supportive atmosphere made my race season just amazing. Instead of stressing over placing well we focused on having fun, sharing our love of the sport with others and supporting one another and it made us realize we don't have to act the way the guys do just because we're racing. It often creates a better and more relaxed learning environment and it certainly is empowering to take on full responsibility for route finding and decision making. It's like I don't even realize the frustration I often feel when I don't get taken seriously or even bother to try to contribute when the guys are around. I know my husband does a ton of my bike maintenance and such and we often have this power struggle going on about it. And sometimes I feel guilty about not just giving in and letting him do it - but then again when I'm out on the trail alone or with other women and can fix broken bikes or read a map with confidence... I'm glad I didn't just assume he'd be around all the time.
I still do plenty of riding with the guys and I have a lot of fun. But the girls-only trips have helped me in ways I never expected.
The girls-only singlespeed conversion with Tradygirl was really fun too. Nothing teaches you bike maintenance like having an old bike to play with and just figuring it out!! And we'd never have had that chance with the guys around. I love that they want to help, but sometimes you've got to get out on your own to learn and enjoy the confidence you get from feeling self reliant.
The ultra supportive atmosphere made my race season just amazing. Instead of stressing over placing well we focused on having fun, sharing our love of the sport with others and supporting one another and it made us realize we don't have to act the way the guys do just because we're racing. It often creates a better and more relaxed learning environment and it certainly is empowering to take on full responsibility for route finding and decision making. It's like I don't even realize the frustration I often feel when I don't get taken seriously or even bother to try to contribute when the guys are around. I know my husband does a ton of my bike maintenance and such and we often have this power struggle going on about it. And sometimes I feel guilty about not just giving in and letting him do it - but then again when I'm out on the trail alone or with other women and can fix broken bikes or read a map with confidence... I'm glad I didn't just assume he'd be around all the time.
I still do plenty of riding with the guys and I have a lot of fun. But the girls-only trips have helped me in ways I never expected.
The girls-only singlespeed conversion with Tradygirl was really fun too. Nothing teaches you bike maintenance like having an old bike to play with and just figuring it out!! And we'd never have had that chance with the guys around. I love that they want to help, but sometimes you've got to get out on your own to learn and enjoy the confidence you get from feeling self reliant.
