Petersburg OEC, Co Galway May 2023

2023 was another year of pushing boundaries at Mountaineering Ireland’s Women With Altitude event, which ran from May 19th to 21st. It was fantastic to see more than 110 women of all ages from all around the country, and with different levels of experience, gathered together at Petersburg Outdoor Education Centre in Clonbur, Co Galway for the weekend. The experience among those attending ranged from those who were just starting their outdoor adventures to those who were true role models for our sport.

In her welcoming speech on Friday night,Trish Walsh, the director of Petersburg OEC, raised the question of whether there was still a need for women-only events. This was a topic that was also discussed by Dr Úna May, the CEO of Sport Ireland – who was the weekend’s keynote speaker – and by participants at the debrief on the Sunday. Everyone unanimously agreed that there was still a need for women-only events. The barriers for women in sport may not be as obvious now as they were before, but they are still present in certain settings. Providing a space solely for women, that creates a positive open atmosphere, where they can build confidence and courage as well as learning practical skills, is still very much needed and valued.

A survey that was circulated to participants after the Women With Altitude event confirmed that the atmosphere was unique and encouraging due to it being an all-women’s event. There was a vast mix of ages in attendance over the weekend, ranging from 18 to 64, and 70% of participants who took part in our survey had never been to the event before. There was also a huge mix of experience. Those who were just starting their outdoor adventures were able to participate in activities from an introduction to the hills and navigation, to scrambling, rock climbing and environmental-focused walks. The more experienced had the opportunity to develop their skills even further by taking part in improvers navigation courses, Mountain Skills refresher sessions, lowland leader taster sessions, environmental-focused walks, improvers rock climbing and learn to lead rock climbing courses as well as orienteering and trail running. The majority of participants found that attending the weekend improved their confidence and that they learned new skills which they wouldn’t have otherwise.

In order to encourage a legacy from the event, participants took part in a debrief on the Sunday, allowing us to get feedback from participants while facilitating networking between participants and encouraging them to commit to developing the skills they had learned over the weekend.

A huge thank you to Dr Úna May for a truly inspirational and motivational keynote address. Thanks also to the organising group, and to all the instructors and observers, who provided such excellent training and encouragement to participants, and to Great Outdoors for sponsoring the event.

Finally, a huge thank you to Trish Walsh and all her team at Petersburg Outdoor Education and Training Centre, Clonbur, Co. Galway, for looking after us so well over the entire weekend.