The starkers sisterhood
Embracing our bodies was our next big adventure Maggie Martin, 50, Cramlington
Strapping up my boots, I grabbed my rucksack and headed out for a day hiking in the Simonside Hills, Northumberland. ‘Into the wild!’ I grinned. I loved spending time outdoors, and if I wasn’t hiking, I was kayaking, climbing, wild camping.
Although I’d been a climbing instructor for years, I liked venturing out alone.
I’d tried organised groups, but found myself surrounded by ‘mansplaining’ men, who assumed that I didn’t know what I was doing. Frustrating!
So it was far more peaceful going it alone.
But when four of my girlfriends asked if they could join me, in March 2019, I loved the idea. ‘Let’s do it!’ I smiled. I agreed, once a month, I’d plan an adventure for the five of us to go on.
The first time, we went wild camping.
Instead of throwing them in at the deep end, we stayed in a teepee in local woodland owned by a mate. It was perfect, they loved it. Our group – Wild Women Adventures – was born.
‘We’re ready for a bigger challenge!’ my friends beamed at me.
Over the next months, we went hiking, camping, canoeing all over the country.
And, as we continued, a wonderful thing happened. Word spread.
As we told friends, and they told their friends, the group grew – into hundreds!
I was constantly thinking of new ideas for fun activities to do.
Rock climbing, abseiling, white water rafting, watersports activities.
We were all so comfortable with each other, but I realised as women, we were also incredibly conscious of our bodies.
We were embarrassed squeezing into tight wetsuits or swimming costumes. How our bums looked in Lycra.
One night that November, as nine of us sat around a roaring campfire, we chatted about our insecurities as women. ‘We all worry about body image, but we should be proud of ourselves,’ I said.
I opened up about my
I opened up about my fears, wobbly bits and all
fears, wobbly bits and all.
‘Let’s do a calendar,’ one of the group said.
A chorus of excited ‘yeses’ echoed back.
So we started planning, and I was bowled over by how many wild ladies wanted to be involved.
In January 2020, we did our first photo shoot in Kielder Forest.
Local photographer Rachel McClumpha had offered to help.
Some of the women posed in underwear, others were completely starkers.
But each of the photos was artistic and creative. Powerful.
We’d planned to do a photoshoot a month, but this was scuppered by the pandemic.
We regrouped, arranging solo shots, and smaller group photos whenever we could manage it.
The result was emotional. ‘After years of being called a tomboy, that’s the first time I’ve felt feminine,’ said Marie, 47, our Miss August, a breast-cancer survivor.
And Em, 42, told me a lifesaving op on her spine to correct the damage caused by scoliosis six year earlier had left her feeling insecure.
‘I cried for half an hour after seeing my photo. I don’t look like the monster I thought I was,’ she said.
Last December, we launched the Wild Women Adventures calendar, on sale for £10 online and at the Northumberland Wildlife Trust.
Proceeds go to FACT Cancer Support and Northumberland National
Park Mountain Rescue.
And, so far, we’ve raised more than £1,200.
My circle of friends has grown in the last two years, too.
Now, there are 3,000 Wild Women, ranging from 40 to 65, and it’s run by a committee, headed by Em.
I couldn’t be prouder of my adventurous sisterhood.
We support each other, share experiences and stories, and are definitely stronger together.
So far, we’ve raised more than £1,200