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Field Notes Blog | Adventure Stories + Travel Tips + Gear Recos

The WHOA travel Blog is where real women share real stories—raw, reflective, and rooted in adventure with purpose. From summiting Kilimanjaro to supporting grassroots changemakers in Peru, our blog offers firsthand insights from experienced travelers who lead with heart. Every post is a window into meaningful exploration, grounded in sustainability, inclusivity, and connection. Whether you're here to get inspired, plan your next adventure, or reflect on your own journey, you'll find a welcoming space that empowers you to rise!

Thicket Adventure: How Two Plus-Size Hikers Built the Hiking Pants the Outdoor Industry Never Made

October 9, 2026 Allison & Danielle

Arwen ans Kara, Thicket Adventure Co-Founders

A lot of other companies start their plus sizes at something like a size 8 and just add inches as they size up. We started with a size 24 as our base. That's what makes these different from any other plus-size pants out there. We perfected the size 24 first. To do that, we took a bunch of measurements from myself and my co-founder, Arwen, and our designer built a 3D model from that combined data. We like to call it a Kara/Arwen baby, ha ha.

Read more
In Diversity & Inclusivity, Inspiring Women, WHOA Exclusive
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Meet Fátima Serrano: One of Ecuador's Few Female Mountain Guides

October 2, 2026 Allison & Danielle

Fatima Serrano has spent more of her life in the mountains than out of them. She started climbing at 11, and by 2022 she'd become one of only three women in Ecuador to hold ASEGUIM guide certification, a credential she's now building on with her international UIAGM/IFMGA certification. She's guided across Bolivia, Peru, Colombia, Mexico, and the Alps, and this season she's headed back up Cotopaxi to lead another WHOA group.

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In Inspiring Women, WHOA Exclusive, Mountaineering
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13 Years on Kilimanjaro: What's Changed and One Thing That's Stayed the Same

July 24, 2026 Allison & Danielle

If you’re a sucker for nostalgia like us, buckle up. We’re throwing it all the way back to our first official WHOA Adventure: Kilimanjaro International Women’s Day 2014. Now, as we're deep into our thirteenth year of trekking to 19,341 feet, we're reflecting on just how massive the impact of our initial idea turned out to be. And while a lot has changed with WHOA and in the world since that first hike, the heart of it all hasn't. So let’s throw it back and take a look at then vs. now: what’s changed, what’s stayed the same, and the impact of our long-term commitment.

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In Kilimanjaro, WHOA Exclusive, International Women's Day
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Finding Confidence in Nature: Amber Karnes on Adventure and Body Image

July 7, 2026 Allison & Danielle

When I’m feeling frustrated with my body and what it looks like compared to other people, it helps to go into nature and see myself reflected in a different way. Beauty standards were invented to sell us stuff to fix “the problem of our bodies”, so we compare ourselves to this "perfect body" standard and we feel less-than. But our bodies aren't a problem to be solved. Our bodies just are what they are, and exist in many different beautiful, unique, and weird shapes and forms.

In nature, I can see myself reflected in a different way, like how the texture of my cellulite (something I may not like) looks like the ripples of a lake, a sand dune, or the texture of a canyon wall (things that I find quite beautiful). Being outdoors also makes me remember my tiny place in the bigger order of things. The mountains, desert, or ocean put me in a different context. I feel properly small and insignificant compared to these vast landscapes.

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In Inspiring Women, Diversity & Inclusivity, WHOA Exclusive
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Too Old? Too Young? Why Mindset Matters More Than Age on Adventures

May 19, 2026 Allison & Danielle

One of the most common questions we get at WHOA is simple and well intentioned: “What's the average age of your travelers?”

We understand why people ask. They want to picture themselves in the group. They want to know if they will belong. They want reassurance that they will not feel out of place, too young, too old, or somehow different. But here is the honest truth. While age can be a helpful data point, it is not what determines whether someone will thrive on a WHOA adventure. Mindset does. Curiosity does. A willingness to learn, contribute, and show up fully matters far more than a number ever could.

At WHOA, we care deeply about life stage diversity. Not because it sounds good, but because we have seen again and again how powerful it is when women of different ages move, struggle, laugh, and succeed together. Some of the most meaningful moments on our trips happen precisely because women are not all in the same chapter of life.

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In Diversity & Inclusivity, WHOA Exclusive
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I've Climbed Kilimanjaro 15 Times and These are my Top 5 Tips for Success

March 10, 2026 Allison & Danielle

The best part about climbing Kilimanjaro with Nicole is that her love for this mountain is contagious - it’s her favorite place in the world and you can feel that on the trail. The second best part is her catch phrases, which are famous in world of WHOA and best delivered with her wit and in her special Nicole way! So here they are, the top 5 Nicoleisms for success on Kilimanjaro, direct from the source:

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In WHOA Exclusive, Kilimanjaro, Inspiring Women
1 Comment

Women We’re Loving This Women’s History Month (And Think You Will Too)

March 5, 2026 Allison & Danielle

Anastasia is the founder of Kula Cloth, a reusable, antimicrobial pee cloth that reduces waste and makes outdoors adventuring so much better for women. Chances are if you've been on a WHOA trip, you've seen plenty of these dangling from bags—probably even your own!

Her seriously funny Instagram normalizes women’s hygiene on the trail by talking openly about periods, pee, and all the very real things that come with being a female business owner and woman outdoors, without any shame (seriously, go read her Substack).

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In Inspiring Women, WHOA Exclusive
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Mountaineering for Beginners: What Experienced Women Want You to Know

January 31, 2026 Allison & Danielle

Record-breaking mountaineer Sunny Stroeer says, “Mountaineering can take you to amazing places. It can also feel pretty intimidating - steep terrain, ropes, ice axes, crampons... where do you even start? Here's the thing, though: when you break it down, mountaineering is really just backpacking on steroids. If you can carry a heavy pack and walk uphill, you've already got 70% of what you need to get into mountaineering covered. The other 30% are technical skills which, yes, are important to learn - but they're not rocket science, and super fun to get into. If mountaineering fascinates you, all you need to do is take the step to dive in and learn.

Read more
In Inspiring Women, Mountaineering, WHOA Exclusive
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Welcome to the WHOA Field Notes Blog—by adventurous women, for adventurous women. From summit highs to soul-deep reflections, this is a place where women share their experiences, wisdom and stories of strength, purpose, and the wild places that change us.

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