With a combined 60 tramps between them, Isla Ashby (21) and Louise Hammersley (22) set out on a new adventure: to explore the backcountry with a feminist lens. By Isla Ashby and Louise Hammersley

Spending two weeks traversing the Tararua Range was a chance to unpack how gender affects the dynamics of a trip, and to redefine tramping on our own terms. Our adventure consisted of thousands of metres of elevation, wind we could barely stand up in and almost incessant torrential rain. Yet somehow, this was one of the best tramps of our lives. What made it so incredible? The magic of female friendship.

1. Femininity vs functionality

Because we were two women on our own, we felt free to express our femininity without worrying that this might undermine anyone else’s perception of our abilities. In the past we have felt a need to suppress our personalities and express ourselves in ways that others would take seriously. This time we wore bright clothes, decorated our walking poles, played with bubble mixture and created fun hairstyles each day. We love being both practical and fun, and question why anyone would deem these qualities mutually exclusive. We want to reconstruct the narrative about embracing femininity while still being strong, smart, fit and safe – because tramping is supposed to be fun.  

2. Menstrual synchrony

We both started our period on the first day of our tramp. A heinous start, or so we thought. On previous mixed-gender tramps, we rarely felt comfortable discussing the consequences of menstruation. On this tramp, the fact of sharing the tribulations of maintaining hygiene, suffering cramps and extra fatigue encouraged us to start conversations about how we were feeling. Checking in with each other also helped us to share the responsibility for negotiating the intensity of our hike. In subsequent group tramps we have encouraged open communication about energy levels. Creating an expectation of checking in with others has meant the responsibility of monitoring each individual’s pace and adjusting accordingly is shared by the whole group.

3. Competition in the mountains

There’s nothing worse than sitting around a hut table with a group of trampers who are trading stories simply to outdo each other. We don’t enjoy nurturing our egos, and find that walking with women has eliminated the feeling that we have to list our tramping credentials in order to be taken seriously. It is a relief not to have our competence interrogated – or worse, ignored.

4. Gossiping on the go

We spent nearly 100 hours walking and roughly 90 per cent of this time talking. The lack of everyday distractions allowed us to explore our commonality. It was easy to empathise because our life experiences were similar. These vulnerable conversations meant we quickly formed a bond, important for both alpine adventures and lifelong friendship. We both value people who are skilled in emotional intelligence and empathetic, as it makes opening up so much easier. By prioritising connection over competition we established trust, and as a consequence felt safe in one another’s judgement of situations that pushed us beyond our comfort zones. 

5. When the goal is to have a good time

We are impressed when we watch other women scale mountains, but more importantly we are inspired by the way women support each other in situations that push their limits. Strength and success don’t have to adhere to a patriarchal standard measured simply by how many mountains we have climbed. We found that maintaining good vibes was of greater importance than how far or how fast we walked. This is how we managed to enjoy slogging up and down the Tararua mountains in two weeks of torrential rain.