ELISE WORTLEY
Tell us about your irst adventure
When I was 16, I went to India with a group of friends.
It was a massive eye-opener and a shock to the system.
Everything was so diferent from what I knew. We went
trekking in Rajasthan and visited Delhi as well. All the
memories are so vivid: being in the mountains; inding
prayer stones with carvings; meeting the people who
lived there; eating yak cheese. India has a very special
place in my heart, I suppose — it’s where this all started.
What does adventure mean to you?
Anything where I’m pushing myself. Something that
makes me feel excited or nervous, or that involves
learning something new about myself or the world.
It doesn’t necessarily have to be a massive trip.
Which would you choose: sunrise or sunset?
Sunrise, because it means there’s a bit of warmth coming,
if you’re lucky.
If you could change one thing in the world of
travel, what would it be?
For women and men to be equal. There are a lot of women
missing out on job opportunities in the world of travel
because of their gender. It’s especially true of guiding
and mountain guiding — a lot of the time when I’m
organising things in other countries, I ask for a female
team and the answer is ‘no’. It’s something I’ve come
across a lot, but hopefully one day we’ll all be equal.
Who’s the most interesting person you’ve met?
Probably Jangu Lepcha, my guide in Sikkim, India. She
divorced her husband and was consequently rejected
by her family. She then decided she wanted to be a
mountain guide and essentially did all the training
herself. She’s since opened homestays in nearby villages
and created opportunities for local people to make belts
and jewellery to sell. She’s just amazing. Every day I spent
with her inspired me even more.Which landscape do you think is most delicate?
I’d say the mountains. Although they look so vast and
indestructible, they’re surprisingly delicate. People
don’t really realise that all this warming is killing of the
animals and plants. It’s startling to see that irst-hand.How do you ind adventuring as a woman?
It’s obviously a lot easier now for women to travel
(although not in some places). Women were so much
more hardcore than their male counterparts back in the
day — and even today, really. Imagine climbing Everest
on your period; it’s just one of the things we have to think
about that men don’t.What’s your favourite piece of kit?
A hot water bottle. I can’t sleep without one in
the mountains.Where’s the most extreme place you’ve visited?
Probably the Tibetan border; it’s so remote. We went
right up to the frontline, where the Indian army patrol
the border. At the foot of the mountains are porters who
live there year-round and deliver food to the troops. They
all live in such harsh conditions and there’s literally
nothing around — no signal, no hospitals. It was the
most bleak and barren place I’ve ever been, and it was so
restrictive but so open. It was just bizarre.Any regrets?
Ater my irst trip, I let the whole project for about a
year. I was a bit overwhelmed by it all and kind of lost my
conidence. I always encourage other people not to do
that, yet there I was, just giving up.What inspires new adventures for you?
All these women that nobody knows about. There are
just so many amazing stories. If they can do it, then I
can as well.We meet the traveller who studies history’s most adventurous women, then
recreates their journeys — all without the aid of modern equipmentElise Wortley is currently planning her next adventure, which will
follow in the footsteps of Freya Stark in Iran.
womanwithaltitiude.com^
@altitudewoman^40 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
SMART TRAVELLER40 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
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