Do you hate out adventure activities?

[user1496262496]

I run an outdoor centre which is primarily for young people. The sort of place schools book in to for a week and the young people do climbing, mountain walks, canoeing and bushcraft etc.

The culture of outdoor activities such as rock climbing, mountaineering and paddle sports has traditionally been male dominated. Participation has traditionally been male dominated. British Canoeing’s web site and Mountain Training’s website have loads of figures about this. There is research… but no one seems to ask the women who don’t engage, or who got put off for some reason at a young age.

I want the activities my centre runs to be as appealing as possible and for the young people to have the best time.

Where do outdoor centres etc go wrong?

I am interested to hear from women who don’t like outdoor adventure activities. What was it that put you off them? What is it that means they aren’t something you would do as an adult?

I don’t think I am unreasonable to think there is a problem in my industry.

If your DC didn’t like their school residential, why didn’t it work for them?

Its cold and wet.

Feeling unfit and having a bit of extra weight.
Though I did some kayaking last summer. It was with a tour guide so lots of stops, gorgeous sunny weather and I loved it. I don't think I'm as unfit as I think I am probably and would like to do it again.

Hi. I've only had experience of these centres through working in a primary school, and having my own children go off to school camp. In both instances, the children were accompanied by predominantly female teachers. And everyone absolutely raved about it! I have never encountered a child who didn't love their camp experience.

From my own point of view, I wouldn't be battering down the door to join in I really recognise the value of what you do, but I am overweight and unfit. My biggest fear, I guess, would be making a fool of myself. Or physically not being able to take part. Plus, I'm not terribly outdoorsy.

Yes, I get the feeling that coldness is a strong theme at a lot of places!

I love them but I can never dry my stuff out between activities so I can put it back on again.

It's not for me, and never has been. Struggling to pinpoint why though.

Even when I've tried and succeeded in doing something that has been difficult for me (eg climbling a steep slope, going on a major hike), I don't get any sense of achievement from it. So not enjoying it in the first place + no sense of achievement = hard no from me.

Bushcraft might be fun. I've happily paddled on a lake in a canoe.

DD absolutely loathed this kind of compulsory school camp, luckily the school started offering a whole range of other options leaving the traditional outdoor camp for those who like that stuff. She wanted to do dance camp, or theatre camp, or cooking camp, she hated getting wet, she hated being too cold or too hot, she hated people jollying her along and trying to pretend that stuff was fun when she just didn't want to do it. Bushcraft - zero interest, climbing - scary, hiking - would prefer a beach walk., canoeing - not her thing. Why do schools think this shit is "character building", for a lot of kids it is misery. I think the only thing you can do to make it better is to make it optional.

Getting changed and ready is often a hassle - just getting into costume and wetsuit at the side of the sea next to a van etc - hard to have enough privacy. There’s a great outdoor ninja inflatable water sports place near us and it’s dead easy for my boys to get changed - they don’t need much privacy and can just have a towel around their waists - but there are massive queues for the changing rooms and they’re pretty horrible and wooden/wet/slippy/non locking. And I say that as a non-precious person who goes on field trips, outdoor walks, happy to find outdoor “toilets”, get muddy etc.
I know there are ways around the getting changed thing, and if you’re really keen you’ll manage just fine, but it’s an inconvenient thing that affects girls and women more.

For me, I'd want warm, clean toilet and shower facilities.

My sons love things like this, the problem is the age children can really get into these things without an adult joining in pretty much coincides with the age girls are getting their periods.

Certainly for me, it's the age where I wanted to hide and cover up. I didn't have supportive parents I could talk to so would be worried about leaks, or the number of hours between being able to get to a toilet. I'd hope most girls would have an adult who can help them through this stage, but I didn't, so swimming and lots of sport's stopped for me at that age.

I loved that sort of thing as a teen! I wish I could have done more of it. Now I'm fat and unfit and wouldn't have the confidence (or flexibility, I make little groany noises getting of the sofa these days!) but the only thing that would have held me back from joining you back in the day would have been me being horribly shy and awkward around new people. It would definitely be good if you had a reputation for supporting teamwork/building friendships/discouraging cliques/supporting people of all abilities, not just the naturally talented and those who'd been doing it all since they were infants.

I do love outdoorsy activities. I’ve been part of diving, caving and trail running clubs in the past.

but every activity has been dominated by a drinking culture which has been quite unsafe as a female. As a 13 year old I did an activity week at a Center, some of my class went and camped in the summer to see some of the male leaders again.

id quite like an all female group/ all female led Centre, I think.

My daughter will not be going to a male dominated Center (she’s 5) without me or her Dad due to my experiences.

As a mid 50s woman, I'd love it but couldn't afford it.

Problems I have...

The safety gear being designed for men. We paid a lot extra to get me a buoyancy aid to accommodate breasts

Changing and toilets (well lack of...) its a lot easier for men (although oodies and dry robes are helping here!)

I plan expeditions around periods. DH plans his around the weather only.

I have two DDs who love this stuff. Our Scout troop is full of girls who love it. Hopefully they get to continue when older.

I dislike getting cold, wet or muddy if there is no opportunity to clean up and dry clothes immediately afterwards. I also don't like equipment that smells damp or of other people's sweaty hands/feet.

I'm dyspraxic, autistic and have nerve damage and a phobia of heights so the activities are not easy or enjoyable for me.(I acknowledge that other dyspraxic autistics may love them) And honestly those activities just don't appeal to me whatsoever. I'd have more fun chewing my limbs off and paying someone to beat me over the head with them. just have no interest in them at all. I'd sooner do almost anything than go rock climbing or white water rafting.

I hate being cold, wet or high up.

There’s an inflatable water park near us which is brilliant, but if you don’t have your own wetsuit you have to hire them and stand and wait in a cold wet wetsuit, it’s awful. DS nearly froze waiting, he was blue. That’s no fun.

Lack of decent toilet facilities
Slimy showers and changing areas
Lack of privacy
Smelly, dirty equipment
Not being able to feel clean the whole time
Canteen food

The whole thing was a sensory nightmare. I actually loved the activities themselves.

To me it's like camping. I'd sooner go without a holiday for the rest of my life than go camping again if that was my only option. That's how much I hate activities like the ones you listed.

Wet suits that actually fit women. Clean warm big enough changing rooms.

Im not quite who this thread is aimed at as I love being outside and aim to take my kids on adventures too. But as a single parent who is right on time and money, the things that stop us from doing more are: the cost of equipment/instructions; faff of changing / drying / turning kit around; feeling ‘out of place’ or not knowing the etiquette of different places. If I turn up at a crag with DC for example, I feel like more established climbers are watching/judging (they’re probably not!)

If you’re trying to appeal to parents like a me, a weekend course in ‘how to get your kids into this stuff’ - including sessions on equipment and etiquette - would totally appeal.

I only have boys - so can’t comment on why girls might not like it. I however would love to give it a go and know a lot of my friends do, the only problem for me is the accommodation - me and my friends would love a weekend away trying out activities such as what you offer but at our age we also like a bit of luxury, a nice dinner and wine - lots of wine ! Maybe not the best combination but if you could offer a package that involved a nice hotel and planned out door activities I’m in !

It's just not fun is it, only if you like adrenaline filled risky activities. I think girls find it more stressful and that's before you get to all the relevant comments about changing rooms and being cold.

I love outdoors stuff now, but didn't as a child/teen.

A lot of the time it was because I was embarrassed about my size and, although I did plenty of sport like hockey and netball, I didn't want to try out my first rock climbing experience in front of a load of boys. Even if they didn't say anything to my face, I'd have been worrying they'd be saying things behind my back.

As an adult, I'm a bit more blasé about it all. But I would still prefer sessions for some activities aimed at women only, with a female instructor. Men just don't understand that a) I might have my period, b) my pelvic floor isn't great due to having children, c) I might be uncomfortable in the harness due to my size and hips and breasts, d) I'm much shorter so find some activities more difficult than a 6' bloke, and so on.

It’s cold, it’s usually wet, it’s boring, the clothing and the gear is really ugly, and the types of girls/women that do these activities tend to be tomboy/masculine.

I would never take part myself and would discourage my daughters from doing so too.