International Women’s Day is a global celebration of the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. It’s also a call to action for equality in how women are paid, treated and their role in society. To celebrate, we’re featuring notable women all month—inspiring female adventurers, travellers, and activists who have a message to share.
Caroline Gleich, 30, is a Salt Lake City, Utah-based professional ski mountaineer and adventurer. She recently skied all 90 lines in Andrew McLean’s cult-classic steep skiing guidebook, the Chuting Gallery, a guide to the steepest, hardest ski lines in Utah’s Wasatch Mountains. When she first announced the project, she was laughed at. Caroline was the first women and the fourth person to ski all 90 lines. And she did it while being aggressively cyberstalked.
When she’s not skiing, Caroline trail runs, alpine climbs, scrambles and bikes. A nature lover since birth, the Patagonia athlete advocates for social and environmental justice, and she works on climate change, clean air and cyberharassment issues. She has 144K Instagram followers. Her dad calls her “the animal.” We talked with Gleich about being an advocate, telling your story even when it makes you vulnerable, and challenging stereotypes.
Being in the mountains deepens my connection with other people as well as the environment. I think women venture into the mountains differently than men. The whole idea of conquest, conquering–that’s not a female mindset. Humility towards our place on the planet and acknowledging the relationship with nature and natural forces resonates more with me.
When I skied the Chuting Gallery, I skied many of the lines with male partners—it’s not safe to backcountry ski solo. It’s easy to do things the way other people do them—the status quo. But I wanted to figure things out myself. Sometimes I’d look at the maps and find a different approach. I made the call what the start time would be, what line I’d do on any day. I matched conditions to the objective. I learned to trust my instincts and intuition.
My half-brother who died in an avalanche had a huge impact on my life. How I assess risk, what I think about in the mountains all came from him.
I’ve lost a lot of friends to the mountains over the years. I have a strong sense of how fragile human life is.
I want to challenge stereotypes about what a mountain athlete looks like. I want to be an example to other women, and to show women that mountaineering and backcountry skiing is for us, too. Usually, when you think of a mountaineer, you envision a large, broad-shouldered man capable of carrying heavy weight on his back.
Yes, brute strength is an important quality in the mountain environment. But so are compassion, patience, and empathy—traditionally feminine qualities.
It’s true whether you’re in the mountains, but also when you’re in the boardroom, the classroom, or anywhere really.
It’s been shown statistically that when a team is in the mountains, you’re better off with a woman in your party. Women evaluate risk differently. It’s also true for travel. Women are better at expressing doubts, considering worst case scenarios, and then addressing those fears. In the mountains, you have to take care of yourself and one another. And as humans, we need to do the same. You can be a badass and be petite and wear pink–or whatever colour you’re drawn to.
I push myself to be a voice, not just for women, but for anyone who has been marginalized. I make a conscious effort to invite other women into my sphere, to source female talent like photographers and videographers. I call out injustice when I see it, and I call out male colleagues when they say something out of line. It’s uncomfortable. But I work really hard to confront sexism head-on. All women need to explore how you can be an advocate for women in your day to day life. You need to call out injustice when you see it or hear it even if it doesn’t affect you.
I was cyberstalked for four years.
I stopped it by telling my story. Cyberstalking is hard to prosecute–the laws aren’t written in favor of women. The stalker stopped harassing me when a journalist from Outside Magazine who had interviewed me about the harassment called him. I would have loved to talk with him in court to find out why he was stalking me. If he starts up again I will publish his name and photo.
It’s all about communication and human connection. Sometimes, when things are hard, it’s easier to pretend they’re not a problem. But that perpetuates the cycle. Tell your story. It’s a really hard thing to let your walls down. There is power and connection when you show your vulnerabilities. The world is starting to awaken to that.
I may have gotten my toughness in the mountains from my mom. She is one of the most bad ass women I know. She was one of the first female doctors in her graduating class. She worked full time when I was growing up and raised four kids. There was no maternity leave back then. She doesn’t cry or get sick. But she helped me know I could be whatever I want to be.
Whether it’s a day trip to explore a mountain in my backyard or an extended international expedition, I always get excited to travel someplace new. It pushes me outside my comfort zone. I get so nervous before I go on a trip. The packing, the unknown, can be overwhelming. I did a two-week long snow camping trip in Alaska. I had no idea how I would survive on a glacier on snow for two weeks in the cold. By the end, I didn’t want to leave. And that’s how all my trips are. It’s stressful to get out the door, but once I am on the road I’m happy.
When you put yourself in a committed situation when you’re travelling or when you’re in the mountains when you’re dependent on one another, it’s either going to be beautiful or it’s going to be ugly. When you have to depend on each other to get through, you work it out. And it creates a special kind of closeness, really deep bonds.
Mindset is critical when you’re travelling.
I try to use the universal language of a smile whenever I can. Approaching the world with happiness goes a long way.
I like and I don’t like that there is an International Women’s Day. It’s only one day, which is a bit of a flawed approach. For me, social and environmental responsibility are closely intertwined. The work of climate change and working for equality for women both have the same purpose: to make the world more fair and inclusive, to help us build a better planet. We have a long way to go, but if we all get involved we’re going to make change.
Caroline’s story was documented by Vermont-based writer, photographer, and adventurer Berne Broudy.
If you want to reach new heights while pushing yourself to limit, we can help with that. Go skiing or snowboarding just about anywhere in the world on a tour. Bring your closest gal pals or meet like-minded women while shredding the hills with TourRadar.
