Getting Started: 3 Tips to Learning New Outdoor Skills
Scrolling through my Instagram or Facebook feed, I see women doing so many amazing things outdoors. They’re sending super tough rock climbs, setting up beautiful mountain campsites, and so much more – women are conquering all kinds of outdoor adventures!
This can be inspiring and yet intimidating and overwhelming. Maybe you want to be climbing mountains or kayaking in pristine lakes but don’t know how. It can be hard to feel comfortable getting outside without the right knowledge. It’s hard to learn new activities without friends who are involved with what you’d like to try out.
I’m always up for new adventures outdoors, but sometimes don’t know how to get started. I’ve have found ways to gain new skills to prepare for new adventures and meet like-minded people who are out enjoying new adventures outdoors too.
Seek out classes. Classes are a great way to gain knowledge and make friends with common interests. A quick Google search for want to learn can yield organizations in the area who offer classes. Check with your local outdoor specialty retailer, many times they offer programs or courses and if they don’t they can help you find out who does in your area. If you are a Colorado Stonewear gal, check with the Colorado Mountain Club for a variety of classes for all levels of ability.
Join a meetup. Using Meetup.com can be a great way to connect with others who share your interests and will likely be happy to meet up with you and share their knowledge. Want to learn to fly fish? There’s a meetup for that. Rock climbing? There’s a meetup for that! A great meetup for Colorado gals is Bold Betties. This group of adventurous ladies celebrates their boldness with skateboard classes, ski weekends, organized hikes, and more!
Ask the Internet. If you see that someone posted an amazing ice climbing photo and you want to know about ice climbing, ask the person who posted. Read a tweet about an activity you want to try? Tweet a question about it! More often than not, the person on the other side of that photo or tweet will share helpful information about how to get started and resources to help you.
It can be hard to get outside, step out of your comfort zone, and go it alone. Especially, when you aren’t sure where to begin – taking a class, joining a meetup, or connecting online will put you in direct contact with guys and gals who want to do the same thing as you. Once you’ve found the tools and community, it’ll be easy to start conquering your own new adventures… and when you do, don’t forget to snap a few pics and share with us!
Share your next adventure with Stonewear! Instagram with #ilivestonewear
About the Author
Lynne Petre lives in Denver, CO with her husband and Pup. You can read all about Lynne’s adventures on her blog: lgsmash. There she talks about her adventures of playing in the mountains year round and shows her love for skiing, trail running, rocking climbing, backpacking and camping. If it’s not yoga that helps her find her balance you can also find her with her husband riding bikes in downtown Denver looking for the next best happy hour. She’s also an active student and participant of Colorado Mountain Club.
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