Exclusive | Women's Travel: Tours & Events

OUTDOOR ADVENTURES
Increasingly women are scampering enthusiastically away from the crowds, taking to the outdoors as adventure travel continues to soar in popularity. More than 50 companies specifically run, guide, hike, rappel and generally energetically organize women-only outdoors adventures in North America alone.

While many women-only adventure companies are strictly just that, dozens more exciting operators offer lesbian/gay trips amongst myriad mixed lesbian-friendly and lesbian-comfortable vacation options. If your favorite traveling gal pal is like most, she's probably off cliff rappelling, trekking the Andes, or wrestling hungry flesh-eating crocodiles (okay, maybe not flesh-eating). Real divas want to jump, scale, fly, charter, glide, ride, run, hike and navigate the world just like the boys do. We've discovered a dozen great adventure tour companies featuring trips on the wild side exclusively for women.

If you're just an old-fashioned girl hearing the call of the wild in any season, contact Berkeley's Call of the Wild Wilderness Trips (510-849-9292 or 888-378-1978), the longest-running women's adventure travel company in the world, with trips in California and from France to New Zealand. They take groups snowshoeing and cross-country skiing in the winter and backpacking and camping in the summer and provide home-cooked meals, many from founder Carole Latimer's own popular cookbookWilderness Cuisine.

If you're not sure what type of adventure you're in the mood for, then contact Seattle's Adventure Associates (206-932-8352 or 888-532-8352), with trips from the Queen Charlotte's to Peru or Baltimore-based Adventures in Good Company (877/439-4042). Both run the gamut on all forms of adventure trips.

OutWest Adventures (406-446-1533) are the people to call when you want to get back in the saddle again and roam Montana in the company of gay cowboys and cowgirls. Their summer gay/lesbian ranch adventures tend to be 50/50 men/women.

Any girl who likes the wind in her face on the open road to nowhere should sign up for an inn to inn cycling adventure with Woman Tours (Idaho; 800-247-1444), offering one- to three-week non-competitive biking tours in the U.S. and abroad, bringing together women from all walks of life. They even run "lesbian only" tours of Glacier national Park, the Finger Lakes and the Sawtooths and the Salmon.

B.C.'s Gaia Adventures (604-875-0066) takes to the hills closer to home ? if home is the Pacific Northwest, with treks, trips and paddling adventures for all levels. If you prefer to float instead of pedal, and are willing to get a little wet, then hop on a rafting or kayaking trip with Mariah Wilderness Expeditions (800-462-7424; www.mariahwe.com).

If you like taking command of the ship, Sea Sense (800-332-1404), a women's sailing and powerboat school in St Petersburg, Florida, offers courses (lasting from a few days to a week), leaving from just about every port of call. Womanship (410-267-6661) is one of the premiere woman's sailing programs in the country and can also teach you to sail away on the waters in sixteen locations around the world.

Like fish? Hook up with Anchorage-based Women's Flyfishing (907-274-7113). They provide instruction and guidance on outdoor adventures at over ten watering holes in Alaska. They also teach saltwater flyfishing in Mexico. Also in Alaska, Equinox Wilderness Expeditions (907-274-9087) and the Arctic Ladies (877-783-1954; www.arcticladies.com) will also help you explore the last frontier with a variety of enticing water and land adventure trips, including some by dog sled.

Las Olas (707-746-6435) offer women-only surf schools off Mexico's Pacific coast plus yoga, post-surfing massages and accommodations.

The mostly straight Gutsy Women Travel (866-464-8879) organize worldwide tours for women seeking cultural adventure or gourmet journeys. Sacred Sites Tours (612-823-2442) bring women and girls on mythical and historical tours of sites in Scotland and England.

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Related Articles:
Women's Travel: Introduction
Women's Travel: U.S. South
Women's Travel: U.S. East
Women's Travel: U.S. West
Women's Travel: Canada/Mexico
Women's Travel: Europe
Women's Travel: Travel Safety