in terms of getting lonely, or bored in my own solo company? Very rarely - If that should arise it can easily be addressed by making sure to put something interesting in there to think about, if the outer world should pall.... I believe that's what books, and suchlike are for...And, of course solo travel allows you to have those in-depth conversations with yourself, to find out 'where you're at' ... Maybe the idea of having to undertake such an investigation is what scares a lot of people...
There is a thread somewhere on women and walking..
Well I agree with this. If it's in your head, then it is. I think the lady who wrote the travelling lines blog put this point better than me: the question is whether the best way to address those inhibitions is articles discussing the problem of the conditioning or visible women doing and enjoying. I used to follow the blog of an amazing woman who rode her Yahama XT all the way to Cape Town and it never once, as I remember, explicitly addressed the question of being a woman alone. Although you couldn't help but wonder at it when she was alone on a flatbed truck of Congolese troops off their head on something or other. She inspired me to do a much smaller solo trip around the backroads of the Eastern Cape.
I agree with this too. It's all very well looking at women like Freya Stark who travelled through the middle east in the 1930s and '40s and wrote Arabian Gates and the Lycian Way, as she was an exception, without family. Or modern equivalents but I've always liked the image of Stark travelling into areas of Iran where no one had ever been.
but no matter - plough on regardless - it might help somebody - and after all no one is obliged to read this stuff.. 
Sorry Dune.. Maybe Shewie will move this to a separate roped off area at some point...
But hey! Better than being ignored eh?
@Clare I'd broadly agree with you, much of it is inside people's heads, but that is where many people spend their lives, fretting away about 'what people might think of them'
(usually very little - and rarely anything relating to us - and if it is, that is their issue )
.
It's arisen from centuries of conditioning perhaps, but needs to be tackled imo...
We're only going for a walk, and putting up a dinky tent after all, (in the instance of hiking)
I've very rarely felt threatened out there in any case, certainly not by other people - and the domestic violence figures show where most of the getting hurt happens.
And globally I suspect far more females spend just as much, if not more of their lives porting heavy loads long distances - water, kids, food etc - than do their male counterparts..
Doing lots of body confidence giving stuff such as physical work, weightlifting and tonnes of yoga, helps.
Although of course, with all this scrummy lightweight gear it's not as if we even need to be that strong
So it is curious in a way, that there are fewer women on here, given that on average we are less physically strong as a gender..
Maybe that filthy pay gap, and thereby access to, and control of, funds for purchases. In addition to the fact that in a lot of households the bulk of unpaid domestic, and caring duties still fall on women, meaning they have less free time, to persue their own interests. These are the real issues that need addressing.
But sure everyone on here, has all that totally sorted - despite the occasional jokey 1950's 'beleaguered husband' club house atmos' that crops up, from time to time.
And yes I too get annoyed at the whole 'woman overcomes her inner demons by going on a transformative journey' trope being endlessly trotted out, unless it's done convincingly, with purpose.
Nearly everyone both male and female, has self doubting moments - chaps are just generally taught to conceal all that with bluff and bluster, ime.
It all perpetuates the same old myth of us women needing protecting, or being helpless out by ourselves.
I get the impression @DuneElliot that there are something like half as many women doing trails in the States, as guys? - still a way to go, but possibly better than here in UK - I don't know for sure - anyone got any solid stats?
If not, I'm willing to go out and collect some - for an immodest fee
From 2016 pct survey
Ethnicity is the standout for me, African American wasn't even a category, 13 percent of the population.
If you take education as representing class, overwhelmingly middle classed.
DEMOGRAPHICS
To start, let's take a look at some information that won't help anyone prepare for their PCT thru-hike, but that is nonetheless interesting: HIKER DEMOGRAPHICS.
- SEX | 67% Male, 33% Female
- AGE | 2% <20, 18% 20-24, 27% 25-29, 18% 30-35, 10% 35-39, 11% 40-49, 10% 50-59, 5% 60-69
- AVERAGE AGE | 34 (σ = 11.8)
- RACE | 89% Caucasian, 3% Multi-Racial, 2% Asian/Pacific Islander, 2% Hispanic, 1% Native American/Alaska Native, 5% Decline to answer
- EDUCATION | 2% <12th grade, 6% High School Diploma, 15% Some College, 7% Associate Degree, 51% Bachelor's Degree, 19% Graduate Degree
That would be prime "thru-hiking the PCT" age. Actual hiking by normal people which is mostly day hiking is overwhelmingly dominated by senior citizens with a majority of women. At least in France it is.
Hi Cathy
Your Winds trips look great - brought back a few memories (did the High Route a few years ago); having spent quite a bit of time in the Sierra I must say that I was really impressed by the Winds - wild and pretty empty (the Cirque notwithstanding).
BUT, I though the burgers in Pinedale were disappointing...but then we had ours before our trip, not after...
I'd like to get back there, and do a mix of on and off trail.
) The only reason I'm really moving back is to spend time with family as we all get older, and that in turn will give me a chance to explore more of Europe
I love the US and am going to miss the epic backcountry hiking opportunities, amoung other things (like my firearms
