WOMEN'S
ADVENTURE TRAVEL IN BRITISH COLUMBIA
by Sue Kernaghan
"It's like a disco bump," says Bonny
Glambeck, explaining the finer points of sea kayaking in terms this
city girl can understand.
Glambeck,
co-owner of Tofino's
Rainforest Kayak Adventures, is describing the hip flick -- an
important boat handling technique, and something worth knowing when
you're out exploring the wilderness in a one-woman craft.
And it's easy -- for some. "Hip
flicks are a natural for women," says Glambeck. "We also have physical
stamina and a low centre of gravity, so we're well suited to
kayaking."
Glambeck and her partner Dan Lewis
run kayaking and camping trips in the pristine wilderness of Clayoquot
Sound, off the west coast of Vancouver Island.
They are also among a growing number
of British Columbia operators offering wilderness adventure trips
specifically for women. Each summer, Glambeck runs two all-women
trips, as well as co-ed paddles and custom adventures for anyone who
wants to get a few friends together.
The
all-women trips have their own vibe, she says, and it's not just the
ease of hip flicking. Glambeck has observed that women tend to be more
confident in all female groups, and they learn sports differently than
men do, finessing a physical task rather than relying on muscle.
And the most important thing? "We
laugh a lot," she says. "In a group of women, you can completely
relate to where the other person is coming from."
Myrna Boulding, owner of
Strathcona Park Lodge and Outdoor Education Centre, has
noticed the same thing. More and more women are heading to her lodge
in the mountainous heart of Vancouver Island to canoe, hike, climb,
and get to know one another. Why? "Women have a lot of fun together.
They bond in a way that men don't," she observes.
They are also more likely to opt for
an outdoor adventure holiday.
According to travel industry expert
Marybeth Bond, writing in California Tourism Insights magazine, 75 per
cent of the people taking nature, adventure or cultural trips are
women.
"Ten years ago there were no such
statistics. Now we know that the average adventure traveler is not a
28-year old male, but a 47-year-old female."
Outdoor educator Paul Hansen has seen
the trend in action. As we kayak together through the clear green
waters of Sechelt Inlet, I ask if his outdoor lessons are any
different for men's groups. "Men? I've never had a men's group," he
confesses.
Paul
and his wife Patti own and operate the
West Coast Wilderness Lodge, a view-blessed hiking, kayaking,
rock-climbing, and relaxing resort a few hours north of Vancouver.
They estimate that about 70 per cent of their guests are women.
Men and women come in pairs and
families, but the groups out for a weekend of bonding and adventure
are invariably women. And they're not just sporty youngsters either: A
widow's retreat held recently at the lodge saw women in their
seventies and eighties trying outdoor activities, in some cases for
the first time.
Beginners often surprise themselves
with how much they can do during a weekend at the lodge. This has a
lot to do with the skill of the guides and with the owners'
philosophy. The idea, says Paul Hansen, "is to make wilderness
adventure accessible to people of all ages, shapes, and skill levels."
Another good choice for city slickers
is a Women's Adventure Weekend at
Horne Lake Adventure Camp. Held once a month in summer, these
camps gather about a dozen women for a weekend of rock-climbing,
rappelling, canoeing, caving, and camping in a fun and supportive
atmosphere.
No experience is necessary. "All you
need is a positive attitude," says camp co-ordinator Erin Arctander.
Horne Lake Adventure Camp is a rustic
outdoor centre near one of BC's most extensive cave systems. Staff
there began offering women's adventure weekends about a year ago, says
Arctander, "because we saw a need for something a little more
adventurous."
"There are a lot of places women can
go for a massage or a body wrap, but there aren't many places they can
try rock-climbing and caving in an all-female group," she says.
The weekends draw a range of campers,
from women who work in the outdoors to people who've never before
slept in a tent (or, in this case, a teepee). "They really cheer each
other on, and usually finish the weekend as great friends," says
Arctander.
Over
on Vancouver Island's west coast,
Surf Sister, founded by Tofino-born surfing champion Jenny
Stewart, offers Canada's only all-women surf camps (guys are welcome
in the daily lessons). Stewart and her team of female instructors show
would-be surfers of all ages how to catch the waves off the
spectacular stretch of sand at Long Beach. The 16-mile long,
forest-backed beach, part of the Pacific Rim National Park Reserve,
is, says Stewart, the most popular place to surf in Canada.
For another high-adrenaline
experience, check out
Spokeswomen Mountain Bike Camps at Whistler Resort.
Sally Carmichael, a former
professional mountain bike racer, founded Spokeswomen in 1996, making
her women-only bike courses among the longest running of B.C.'s
female-focused adventure companies.
Carmichael and her team run their
classes at the Whistler Mountain Bike Park, a network of downhill and
cross-country bike trails at the famous mountain resort -- and 2010
Olympic venue -- two hours north of Vancouver.
After an evening of orientation and
bike fitting, cyclists whiz up the mountainside (the gondola and
chairlifts used by skiers in winter are fitted to carry bikes in the
summer). Then, with the help of experienced female instructors
(including some professional downhill racers) they learn -- and try
out -- the best techniques for tackling the trails. Sweeping views of
the surrounding Coast Mountains are part of the deal.
Spokeswomen's weekend courses are for
all levels, from people new to off-road biking, to serious downhill
racers. The average age is 35, but teens and seniors have joined in
too.
Carmichael started the camps when she
was racing professionally and other riders would ask her for tips.
"I gained a huge enjoyment from
watching other women succeed. There's also a great camaraderie in
women's groups; women are quick to get to know each other and support
one another. These camps are like a girlfriends' weekend, and it's not
every weekend you get to hang out with 30 other girls."
Women-only
mountain sports are also catching on in the Kootenay Rockies, where,
at
Fernie Alpine Resort, women have their own mountain biking
clinics in summer, and ski and snowboard classes once the snow falls.
"Last year we started with one
Women's Mountain Biking Weekend. We had so much fun we are running two
this year," says Melody Kultgen, the resort's sales and marketing
manager. In the winter, locals and weekenders can join the You Go Girl
women-only ski and snowboard lessons.
Both programs have been big hits,
partly, says Kultgen, because of the comfort level involved. "Women
feel a little more comfortable learning with other women. The classes
are also a nice way to meet other people at the same skill level, and
perhaps find riding or skiing buddies. It?s a social get together as
much as a learning experience."
It's that bonding thing again. Sorry
guys. Whether we're out surfing, kayaking, camping, rappelling,
rock-climbing, caving, hiking, or just hanging round the campfire,
sometimes is just more fun this way.
