Solo Hiking as a Woman Tips & Advice
We recently spotted a brilliant Instagram carousel from Breesha Wright, so we got in touch and asked her to tell us a little more about herself and her solo hiking adventures. If you have a story you’d like to share in our OS Women Outdoors Hub get in touch – we’d love to share your advice and adventures.
5 Things You Should Never Do as a Solo Female Hiker
1. Post your live location- you never know who is watching your posts in real time. Don’t put yourself in danger
2. Never leave home without a means to call for help in the mountains. Even without any mobile signal you can now still request help with the 999 messaging feature which uses GPS.
3. Not telling someone your route or a time window you plan to be completed by.
4. Underprepare – always take more layers than you think you need, more food and more water.
5. The most important- trust your gut- if someone doesn’t feel right, it’s probably not right. It’s always okay to turn back, the mountains will be there another day!! 🫶
More Top Tips for Hiking Alone as a Woman
Preparation
As a woman hiking by yourself, preparation is key. Making sure you have more than enough kit, have a route planned and have pre-enrolled in the 999 text message service are some of the most important things you can do to keep yourself safe.
Weather Check
When packing kit, look up the forecast for the fell you’re attempting (MWIS and Mountain forecast are fantastic tools), then pack as if you’re going to be sat still for hours in the hike conditions of the forecast that day. If you get injured that’s what you may have to do, so always pack layers and an emergency shelter / foil blanket.
Route Planning
Route planning is best done with a paper map, which you then take with you on your walk with a compass, this isn’t accessible for everyone though so apps like OS Maps are fantastic tools use; you can plan your own route on there as if it’s a paper map but uses your phones GPS to tell you where you’re at.
Check Reviews!
I’d be really careful when using apps like AllTrails and Komoot. These are good apps but always check the reviews and click into their details to see how other hikers rated the route and how long it took them!
Set Up Emergency Texts
The 999 messaging service is a godsend, it uses GPS to send through a distress signal to the emergency services, perfect for when you’re out hiking with no signal, or if you don’t feel safe enough to talk. To enroll all you do is text “Register” to 999 and follow the instructions they text to you. If you take one thing from this article, take this.
Never Share Your Live location!
As a woman, never ever post your live location especially when hiking out alone, make sure you tell someone what route you’re planning and when you’re expecting to finish.
Most importantly, if your gut says something isn’t right, trust it as nine times out of ten it probably is. The mountains will always be there another day and no hike is worth your safety!
How I Started My Solo Hiking Adventures
I moved up to the Lake District from a city back in 2022 and initially really struggled with the lifestyle change and felt quite lonely.
I decided I wanted to make the most out of where I live, and I started going on small hikes with low elevation by myself. I had basic kit, a pair of hiking boots and a good waterproof, and I set off on my mini adventures. As time went on I started growing my confidence and hiking further, and I connected with other people with the same passion through Instagram.
By 2025 I had created my own hiking Instagram page @walk.inthelakes and started attempting Wainwrights solo, learning a lot through trial and error. I didn’t really see very many women on my page sharing tips about solo hiking or mountain safety, so decided to be the voice I wanted to see earlier on in my journey.
My main mission at the moment is to finish off the Wainwrights, having just hit 100, and rate every Wainwright route I do so others get a feel for it before they attempt them. I’m really passionate about getting women outdoors and confident enough to take the first step into what is traditionally a more male dominated space.
By Breesha Wright
