Encounter the Wilderness...
The Female Hiker's Handbook -The Course
Are you interested and passionate in learning about backpacking, long-distance hiking and being self-sufficient in the outdoors, but are:
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Always just thinking about going out on an adventure rather than prioritising, planning, and seeing it through?
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Worried about venturing out alone?
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Needing to know how to plan a trip and how to take a leadership role in this?
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Missing a community of likeminded people?
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Wanting to learn more about how to take your backpacking and outdoors skills further?
What topics are covered in The Female Hiker's Handbook?
The Planning
Any backpacking trip or long-distance hike requires a lot of planning. The course is designed to inform you about what you need to consider in this crucial stage. For example, what to pack, choosing which trail to hike, how many days it will take, planning how much food to carry for each stage, safety preparation and more.
The Practical
How do you know if your pack fits you? How do you keep your food away from campsite critters? How do I go to the bathroom on trail? The course covers (in detail) the very real aspects of being outside for multiple days and what we can do practically to feel as comfortable as possible in our discomfort.
The Emotional
Making the decision to prioritise adventure can bring a lot of feeling with it, in varying ways and amounts. Whether you feel happy, excited, consumed by fear, or all of the above, it is necessary to be aware of the emotions that arise in us when we choose the trail. The course offers the space for open discussion on this.
The Reality
What is it really like to be out on trail? How can preparing for the unexpected, as opposed to an idealised version of reality, actually support us in being more competent backpackers and help keep our expectations of the outdoors, and ourselves in balance?
Intake for The Female Hiker's Handbook is open now. If you would like to join, then please reach out using the contact form at the bottom of the page. We will arrange a free initial video call where we can meet, discuss your backpacking goals and see if this is the right course for you.
I look forward to meeting you!
Who is The Female Hiker's Handbook for?
This in-depth course is for women who want to prioritise adventure, in order to become competent and confident in the wilderness. Whether you are a newbie backpacker and need to start from scratch or have a few over-night trips under your belt and want to challenge yourself to know more, I look forward to meeting women who have a range of experiences.
Encounter Connection believes in the value of experiential leaning (learning by doing), so there will be encouragement to get out there and put what you take from the course into practice. The opportunity to meet as a community and 1:1, will ensure you can feed back how the experiences were for you and what you may want to choose to do differently next time. Therefore, remembering that our learning is always evolving as are we!
When does it start?
The Female Hiker's Handbook will begin in April 2025. It is a self-paced course and you can therefore complete in whatever time-frame works for you. Between April 2025 and July 2025 there will be multiple group and one-to-one video calls where we can discuss the handbook and any thoughts or questions that may arise. The group sessions will be a fantastic opportunity to meet other Encounter Connection students and for you to gain the benefits of being part of a private backpacking community.
What does it include?
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3 individual coaching calls (1 a month for 3 months)
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Weekly group coaching calls (1 a week for 3 months)
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An extensive and thorough training course with videos, articles and resources.
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Full access to the course for as long as you need.
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Membership to the Encounter Connection private community.
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A 3-day 'graduation' backpacking trip in Scotland where you get to try out everything you have learned and meet your classmates on trail.
How much does it cost?
Option 1: One time payment £800 (save 20% when paying in full)
Option 2: 3 Monthly payment plan - £320 initial payment and then £320 X 2 months for 3 monthly payments.
Once you have paid in full you will have access to the entire course for as long as you need it.
All prices include three 1:1 coaching sessions and multiple group sessions (from April-July 2025) where you meet with Johanna and the Encounter Connection private community.
A 3-day 'graduation' backpacking trip in Scotland will be organised for the end of the course. This is provisionally booked for September 2025
Join The Female Hiker's Handbook...
You can make contact using the form below. We’ll arrange an initial one to one call online. This will help us both to see what your backpacking goals are and if this is the right course for you. I look forward to meeting you!