Now, more than ever, it’s important to prioritize sustainability at the grassroots level. Here at WHOA, we remain committed to designing experiences that incorporate sustainability both in the details, and in our overall approach. (Sleeping under the stars beats 5 star hotels on so many levels!) Our sustainability impact report is a part of our commitment to be transparent, continually improve and reevaluate our initiatives, and to keep us on course in our goal of helping protect Mother Earth. Check out the highlights of our 2024 initiatives below, and thank you for joining us on this journey!
A special thank you to 1% for the Planet, One Tree Planted, United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, and The Carabiner Collective for the work you're doing! You inspire us and others every day to preserve and protect Mother Earth.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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:
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).
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.
Dreaming of hiking the Tour du Mont Blanc? You should be! It’s one of the most iconic long-distance treks in the world, circling the highest peak in Western Europe through France, Italy, and Switzerland. But don’t let the postcard views fool you. This trail is as complex as it is beautiful, with big weather swings, serious elevation gain, and logistics that can make your head spin. Before you start planning, here are five things most hikers wish they knew before they started!
At WHOA, we don’t believe in overpacking—but we definitely believe in being over-prepared. This guide is your no-BS checklist for what to have in your daypack everyday whether you’re on a day hike, training, or on a multi-day trek. Think: protection, safety, sustenance and sustainability!
You might be tempted to shove your bulky hiking boots into your checked luggage and opt for comfy slip-ons instead. But remember, lost luggage happens, and the last thing you want is to start your trek frantically hunting for new, non-broken in boots at your destination.
Looking for the perfect hiking boots for your next adventure? We’ve got you covered! From summiting Kilimanjaro to trekking the Tour du Mont Blanc, the right hiking boots can make or break your adventure. Our WHOA team has tested boots across all our trips in Iceland, Peru, Tanzania, and beyond. These are the tried-and-true favorites we trust to take us (and you!) confidently and comfortably on the trails.
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.