Since I left the confines of the BBC Breakfast sofa, I have spent much of my time finding joy in the great outdoors. Before I left the programme, I knew I wanted to write a book about intrepid women doing incredible things in the world of endurance, adventure, and sport. Women who were climbing the highest mountains, running the longest distances, and breaking down barriers and stereotypes they encountered on the way. Why women you ask? Because when we hear stories of courage, bravery and resilience, in my experience, they predominantly feature men. No disrespect to any of them but I wanted to hear from women too, because I think we all need heroes who look like us, to inspire us to take up our own challenges and push at our own edges. If you see it, you can be it.
I could have written Fearless via Zoom interviewing everyone about their experiences from the comfort of home but give my love of endurance sport I thought there was a more fun way to do it. Ever since I was child and my dad took me on wild camping trips in Cornwall, I have always loved adventure, alongside that, I have always loved meeting people and hearing their stories. With those two interests combined I thought the best way to write it would be by meeting the women in person and joining in myself. I wanted to do the things these women loved right alongside them, so each chapter is dedicated to a different woman and a different adventure.
At the start I could never have imagined quite where the book would take me, and that I would end up freediving under ice in the dark with Cath Pendleton an ice swimmer who has a Guinness world record for swimming a mile in the Antarctic Circle. Trying to cycle across Argentina with one of the world’s most accomplished endurance runners, Mimi Anderson, or playing Rugby in biblical rain with Zee Alema who wants to be the first black, Muslim woman to play the game for England. I had no idea how far it would push me out of my comfort zone, or what I would learn about the power of the great outdoors to change us for the better. Even the most innocuous sounding adventure taught me important lessons, and walking in Snowdonia, (Eryri) was one example that I thought might be good to share with you here on The Outdoor Guide. Here is a short version of that day for you;
“I knew I had made a terrible mistake before I spotted the looming dark hulk of the Summit Café at the top of Snowdon, (Yr Wyddfa) which was peeking out of a cloying blanket of freezing fog. I had climbed the beautiful Welsh mountain five times before, but never got it so seriously wrong. I had always judged the weather perfectly, but this time I made a grave error. We had set off bathed in warm sunshine from the scenic Pen y Pass car-park next to the Youth Hostel to make our way up the Pyg Path as part of a charity walk and my companion on the day was 2Wish fundraiser Rhian Mannings. I thought a walk on Snowdon would be easy enough, but halfway up our ascent it started to drizzle, rather than listen to my instinct and stop and put my waterproof trousers on, I asked someone else what they thought, and believed them when they said it was a passing shower! An hour later when I made it to the top up the steep slippery steps, I was soaked through to my underwear, frozen to the bone, teetering dangerously close to hypothermia. The only thing I could do about it was haul on every item of clothing I had in my rucksack and hope that I would pull myself back from the brink. Thank goodness I did, and although it took me two hours to feel properly warm again, I managed to walk down the mountain accompanied by a relentlessly cheerful Rhian. I will never not listen to my gut feeling again!”
It was one of the other women who stars in the book expedition leader and explorer Belinda Kirk who is a passionate advocate of the power of adventure who explained to me why experiences like that, though scary, can change you for the better. She has led expeditions all over the world and is a Guinness world record holder for rowing unsupported round Britain. Together we completed an arduous two-day 36-mile trek across the Dartmoor from south to north. The walk would be challenging enough but was made harder because we were wild camping overnight and were carrying all our kit, over 20 kilos of it on our backs. She told me;
“It is not an adventure unless there is adversity. If you aren’t suffering a bit, and by that, I mean too hot, too cold, wet, hungry or tired, you haven’t left your comfort zone. It is beyond your comfort zone where you stretch yourself that you learn. It is visceral. It doesn’t mean you have to scare yourself to death or have a terrible time. It is not about being gung-ho and having to suffer, but about pushing yourself to your edges. Adventure shows you what you are capable of and helps you discover what your physical and psychological boundaries really are.”
She is right about adventure helping you discover things about yourself. Writing the book, I have learnt so much about myself. Physically learnt that my 54-year-old body is much stronger than I thought it was, and psychologically I am much more resilient and determined than I believed. The greatest gift the book has given me is a re-connection with my love of being outside, walking, cycling, swimming and enjoying nature. I hope that everyone who reads it will be inspired to take up a challenge or adventure of their own in the wonderful outdoors, and if the going gets tough remember that is where we change for the better.
Fearless, Adventures with Extraordinary Women by Louise Minchin is published by Bloomsbury and is out now.
