Ski Touring Without Machismo: A Women-Led Weekend on Cairngorm Mountain, Scotland

The closer you get to the summit, the stronger the wind blows. When it fills the sky with tiny pellets of ice picked up from the upper slopes, we seek shelter under a snowbank. We have a decision to make. Continue our ascent of Cairngorm mountain or put on our snowboards and skis gear, and descend from here.

We are on a beginners ski weekend hiking, the sport where you attach sticky but removable "skins" to the base of your skis so you can walk uphill. But in my case, it's splitboard touring: I'm on a snowboard that splits in two, which allows me to climb, with skins, like a touring ski.

You have to decide as a group to go down or continue. We are seven women with little to no snow hiking experience, ranging in age from early 20s to mid 40s. Both of our guides made it clear that it was our call. We share a few Percy Pigs and weigh the pros and cons, screaming to be heard over the roar of the wind, but also laughing at the absurdity of his strength, which makes even passing a bag of candy a tricky exercise .

< p class="dcr-1b64dqh">The day was beautiful despite the gales, with bright sunshine and patches of pale blue sky. As we gaze upon the landscape below, where snow gives way to heather, ancient Caledonian Forest and the sparkling expanse of Loch Morlich, it's clear none of us want the experience end. We haven't reached our limit - although it may not be far off - and we still have a potentially choppy race to navigate. We decide to turn back.

The weekend is organized by Wandering Workshops, a project set up during the pandemic when the Cairngorm mountain ski resort was closed, but the snow kept falling. With no lifts, many locals have turned to ski touring or splitboarding.

Hannah Bailey, an outdoor sports photographer who had recently moved to nearby Aviemore, is an avid snowboarder but felt intimidated by the touring scene. "There's a lot of macho mountaineer energy around the hikes and the backcountry," she says. “It can be off-putting. We often talked about extreme routes or lines, which makes you feel like you can't participate if you're not able or willing to take it to that level. »

All a changed when she met Lesley McKenna, three-time Olympic snowboarder and backcountry ski and snowboard guide, who has lived in Aviemore all her life. Lesley introduced Hannah to splitboarding, and on one of their many backcountry tours in the Cairngorms, the duo discussed how they could help break down barriers to touring and encourage more women and other underrepresented groups to get into the sport.

It's a move that's clearly needed. During our two days of hiking near the resort, where high winds had forced the lifts to close, we see a handful of other groups on the mountain, hiking or in winter training. They are all men.

In addition to demystifying the sport, Hannah and L...