The fifth annual Women Outside Adventure Forum by Backcountry Experience is returning to Durango on Sept. 30 - Oct. 2. The 3-day event will feature a collection of free workshops and clinics for local women. The hands-on nature of this year’s forum marks an evolution from previous events which featured speaker presentations.
“Since our 2020 event was canceled by the pandemic, I decided it was time to step back and reimagine Women Outside,” said event founder and organizer Margaret Hedderman. “The event was always about inspiring women to try a new sport or tackle a dream adventure, but now we’re giving them the tools to do it.”
The theme for this year’s event is “Permission Slip.”
“Sometimes giving yourself permission to try a new sport or pursue a dream is hard,” Hedderman said. “This year’s event is all about giving women a permission slip to stop waiting and start doing.”
The Women Outside Adventure Forum will kickoff with a local adventurer story night and speed friending event at the Powerhouse Science Center. It will feature short presentations from speakers including Tailwind Nutrition co-founder Jenny Vierling and ultra-runners Anna Frost and Hannah Green. The evening will conclude with a round of Adventure Buddy Bingo, to help locals make new outdoor friends. The event is open to women and men of all ages.
“We hosted a similar networking event, Adventure Buddy Speed Friending, in June,” Hedderman said. “The level of excitement in the room just goes to show how important it is to offer opportunities for locals – no matter how long they’ve lived here – to make new connections in town.”
On Oct. 1-2, participants will discover an array of hands-on clinics from an intro to packrafting and desert backpacking to outdoor writing and photography. Session leaders include the award-winning author and journalist Annette McGivney, conservation photographer Deirdre Rosenberg, Friend of Tailwind Eszter Horanyi and local author MK Thompson.
Prizes will be available from Osprey, Outdoor Research and Backcountry Experience. All proceeds from the event benefit the San Juan Citizens Alliance.
The event is organized by Backcountry Experience and sponsored by numerous national and local businesses including Alpine Bank, Osprey, Outdoor Research, Tailwind Nutrition, Alpacka Raft, Durango Magazine, Bear Balm, TripOutside and Crow’s Closet.
A full schedule is at www.womenoutside.org.
For more information, contact Hedderman at margaret@womenoutside.org.
