Meet Keri
Girls on hills
Girls on Hills is Scotland’s only guided trail, fell and skyrunning running company, designed specifically for women. Offering spiritually fulfilling and empowering experiences and journeys away from regular routes and popular mountains, they show visitors the trail less travelled.
Girls on Hills put conscious travel and practices at the heart of what they do and encourage ‘plogging’ and responsible use of our landscape, to include best-practice wild camping and proper use of bothies. They encourage lift-sharing and use of public transport and support the local economy by connecting runners with local/small accommodation providers and cafes/restaurants in the surrounding villages. Girls on Hills are socially conscious and encourage women from all backgrounds, abilities, ages and ethnic minorities to join group courses, enhancing wellbeing through time spent in nature and striving to achieve empowerment for women.
We caught up with co-founder, Keri Wallace to find out more about the trail, fell and skyrunning experiences they offer in the Highlands.
How did Girls on Hills begin, what was the inspiration or idea behind it? We had slowly become aware that many women regarded our activities in the mountains as something difficult, scary or unattainable for ‘normal’ runners. We would frequently receive comments like ‘I could NEVER do what you do!’ This is simply not true, and is the result of some misconceptions about our sport. So we set about trying to show more women how accessible trail and mountain running (even skyrunning) can be for everyone. It really grew from there! Glencoe is the perfect playground, on account of its rugged nature and impenetrable appearance from the roadside.
You have enabled many women to overcome challenges and experience a huge sense of achievement. As well as fitness for the body, is the goal for Girls on Hills to have a marked impact on people’s wellbeing and confidence too? Yes, we feel strongly that time spent in nature (and in particular in a relaxed and supportive environment) can be really beneficial for people’s health and well-being. Exploring and pushing our comfort-zones and learning new skills also build self-confidence and leads to empowerment (most notably leadership qualities and self/reliance) which carries over into our day to day lives. Hill-walking and trail-running, especially with others, can be a valuable tool in the management of anxiety and mental health issues. It’s a great way to learn more about yourself, share experiences with others and of course soak-up the beauty of the Scottish Highlands!
What’s next for Girls on Hills? What are you most looking forward to this year? We are looking forward to delivering events in the Cairngorms National Park, alongside our usual Glencoe/Lochaber based courses. We are also excited to have launched a new Bothy Run (sponsored by Scottish Distillery the Gin Bothy) in Glen Affric (August 20th & 21st). We will be trail-running in a beautiful new area and spending a night off-grid in the rustic Glen Affric eco-hostel. Next year we have bookings for both Knoydart and the Isle of Rum – so watch this space!
Photo credits © GirlsOnHills