I’m back in Munich, cooped up within my four walls. When the weather is nice, my city apartment sometimes feels even tinier. My thoughts are still on the weekend. I spent two days at the Salomon Outdoor Women Event in Chiemgau, where I not only learned more about myself but also had a great time with lots of women who share a passion for mountain sports. There was everything from relaxation to action.
Why do you do what you do?
“Why do you share your mountain experiences with people on Instagram? What motivates you?” It’s a question that keeps going through my head, and now someone has asked it out loud. I think about it. I didn’t grow up in the mountains, and I’m a “beginner” myself. Even so, I found my feet fairly quickly and felt at home. These days, I draw strength from a day in the mountains and enjoy the freedom. I want to lead by example and share that experience. I want to show you that you don’t have to be an extreme mountaineer to reach a summit. I’m not a fan of saying, “He or she has no business being up there.” It always sounds as though you have to know how to do everything before you set out. But to get good at something, you first have to practice. And there’s room for that in the mountains too. I’m not encouraging you to overestimate your abilities, but I do want you to believe in yourselves. If I can do it, you can too. Maybe with a mountain guide, maybe not for another three years. But you can do it too. This message is especially for women, who often hold back and feel less confident. Believe in yourselves!
Out and about with women
The Salomon Outdoor Women Event is aimed specifically at women who are active in the mountains. Women who have gained experience in outdoor sports, sometimes failed, but still keep setting out again and sharing their experiences. The 10 fellow bloggers joining me are all different, whether in age, previous experience or their main sports. But that’s what makes getting together so interesting: women who have found their niche, live their passion and inspire and enthuse others with their approach to life.
Among them is Kate (@snowwhite.and.the.summits), a former ski cross athlete who now spends time in the mountains almost every day. Theresa (@therry_nu) lives in Nuremberg but still manages to get to the mountains surprisingly often, whether on touring skis, with climbing gear or, more recently, for trail running. Christine (@christine_pre), founder of Munich Mountain Girls (@munichmountaingirls), has even made it her official mission to reach out to women in mountain sports, connect them and encourage them. For Anja (@mountainista_blog), it often can’t be high enough. She loves the high mountains and glittering ice landscapes and, by her own account, has never worried that she might not be able to do something her male touring partners could. And the two runners, Laura & Isa (@run_munich_run), regularly push their bodies to new personal bests. The fact that Isa’s lateral ligament is currently injured doesn’t stop her from hiking, just as Laura didn’t let her initial reservations hold her back from mountain carting. It was a pleasure to meet you all.
| Advertisement | |
 | You are a woman. You have the freedom to be yourself. To do things your way. Share them on Instagram #SalomonWMN & @salomon |
From relaxing yoga to an action-packed mountain cart descent
The program is just as varied and colorful as the group itself. We start with a relaxing yoga session. A lovely feeling washes over me. I actually manage to be completely present and focus on what I’m doing. I often find that difficult in everyday life. My thoughts are always circling between today, yesterday and tomorrow. I think about three things at once, and although I often seem calm on the outside, my mind is never quiet. That makes it all the nicer to experience this feeling of relaxation for myself. The hour and a half feels as though it has given me enough energy for the entire week. I start the day feeling free and balanced. My sore muscles the next day are further confirmation that I should work the exercises into my daily routine more often.
In contrast, there’s the mountain cart descent we experience later that afternoon. Go-kart-like vehicles are prepared, liability waivers signed and helmets handed out. This should be interesting. Anyone who knows me knows I’m not exactly a speed junkie and would even push my mountain bike along forest trails. So I start slowly. With both brakes on, I cautiously make my way down the first few meters of the slope. It takes quite a while before I put the necessary trust in the vehicle beneath me. Then, at some point, I realize: this feels safer than mountain biking. A grin finally spreads across my face, and before long I’m practically drifting around the bends. Crazy. I’m getting really brave today.
A woman’s place is in the kitchen, right?
Stereotypes about women are part of everyday life. Sometimes they’re just tossed out casually, and other times they’re meant in all seriousness. That’s when you hear things like, “A woman’s place is in the kitchen!” The inspiring women I get to meet cook too. Of course. Everyone cooks. Even the men I know. Today, though, the cooking studio moves outdoors. Instead of a glossy kitchen, an electric stove and a dishwasher, a campfire by the lake awaits us. Okay, I don’t have a dishwasher or a glossy kitchen at home anyway. But the comparison seemed fitting here.
We prepare just about everything over the flickering flames. There’s stuffed zucchini, stuffed kohlrabi and flambéed nectarines. Nearby, all kinds of vegetables are cooking on hot stones in an earth oven, buried beneath the soil. There’s also bread cooked on sticks. It brings back memories of a class trip in elementary school. The dough tastes just as it did back then. And once again, the tip of my bread is charred beyond recognition, while the rest is barely cooked. I’m surprised to realize I couldn’t care less. We have everything we need right here. And we’re in a really good mood too.
Be who you are
Stereotypes aside, cooking this way is fun! And mountain carting is fun too. Starting the day with yoga together is a wonderful thing. So is hiking. I love being out in nature, letting loose and doing what makes me happy. It doesn’t matter whether those things are considered feminine or masculine. Does that get in the way of my being a woman? Not at all.
I can enjoy wellness vacations and still love spending nights in a camper. I can go out partying in high heels at night and squeeze my feet into hiking boots that are too tight during the day. I can also take my feminine qualities with me into the mountains. I can own the fact that I don’t always need full-on action. I’m emotional and sentimental, and I often let my intuition guide me more than my head. I am the woman I am. And that includes all my preferences, passions and dislikes. You too have qualities that make you who you are. They might be similar to mine, or they might be very different. Don’t let yourselves be squeezed into a stereotype. Be who you are. Any path. Your way.
—
**Photos by Claudia Ziegler