Image this: you’re caught within the woods. It’s you, Mom Nature, and the burning query: would you reasonably encounter a person or a bear?
Over the previous couple of weeks, this debate has taken over TikTok, Instagram, and mainstream media. And the reply – in the event you’re a lady, at the least – isn’t shocking. Many are selecting the bear. Why on earth would girls select a bear over a person? Nicely…
A bear has by no means…
Whispered by the canvas of a lady’s tent ‘Is that this the place the occasion is?’, as a result of she made the error of getting a five-minute chat earlier within the evening to be well mannered.
A bear has by no means…
Adopted a lady and her good friend throughout a hike, peering by bushes, to the purpose they have been so involved they ran again to their automotive, earlier than following them to the pub the place they pulled in searching for assist.
A bear has by no means…
Informed a lady she ‘owes’ him a kiss as a result of they’d hiked collectively for the day after assembly in a hut the evening earlier than.
A bear has by no means….
Parked proper subsequent to a lady in a abandoned campsite, watching her each transfer till she feels the necessity to depart her pals a message together with his quantity plate, in case something occurs.
A bear has by no means….
Waited for a girl’s husband to go diving so he can ask ‘Can I kiss you?’, together with his palms already uninvited round her waist.
These examples are the experiences of myself and different girls I do know with males within the outdoor. However I can recall loads of others too; the Aussie path runner who was adopted and threatened when tenting alone, the French backpacker who had a terrifying ordeal with a person who wouldn’t depart her tent regardless of fixed asking, the present information studies of a stalker on a preferred Adelaide climbing path.
And these are solely incidents tied to the outside. Broaden that to incorporate ‘everyday life’ and the reminiscences, anecdotes, and moments from inside my circle alone are far too prevalent and heartbreaking to do justice to in 700 phrases.
Nevertheless it’s not all males!
You’re proper. It’s not all males. The vast majority of my moments within the outdoor with males have been stunning. From the boys I’ve the pleasure of calling family and friends, to the strangers whose kindness will all the time stick with me.
I bear in mind the time, whereas midway by a distant three-day solo hike in Switzerland, I got here throughout a landslide. It was satisfactory however terrifying. A person crossing the other approach began speaking in French that he had my again, watching me fastidiously, earlier than smiling and waving a cheery ‘Au revoir!’.
One other time, a bunch of tipsy guys at Deep Cross campsite within the Blue Mountains invited my pals and me to their fire-side occasion. We declined, and 5 minutes later, one got here again, handing us chilly beers and wishing us a great evening. No expectations.
However till confirmed in any other case, the worry is all the time there. As a result of though it’s not all males, that one (or two or three) that each girl I do know has encountered, is sufficient for us to be further cautious. Possibly if we have been one of many uncommon few to be attacked or made uncomfortable by bears, or in Australia snakes, we’d really feel the identical approach about them too.
Regardless of on paper, having issues to worry in nature, I really like the outside. It’s the place I really feel the most secure and most at peace, particularly in comparison with cities. In actuality, encountering a random man, bear (or snake!) and having one thing horrible occur isn’t possible. That’s why worry won’t ever cease me from getting exterior, and I hope it doesn’t cease others both.
I cope with the potential hazard of not all males, in the identical approach that I do the potential hazard of snakes, falls, chilly, or warmth – I plan for the worst and hope for the very best. I inform individuals the place I’m and after I’ll be again, I carry a PLB, I select my campsites fastidiously when climbing solo. The listing of precautions goes on.
However what I hope for is that sooner or later – whether or not it’s within the bush or the town – it’ll solely be bears (or snakes) that ladies want to fret about.
Learn extra: Why I’m Proud To Hike Like a Woman
Function photograph by @zmachacek
