Lise Wortley on walking in the footsteps and clothing of historic female adventurers

When she was 16, Lise Wortley read a book by the explorer Alexandra David-Neel, who had undertaken a 14-year journey through Asia. The idea of it stayed with her until ten years later, when she was searching for a way to improve her mental health. It dawned on her that David-Neel and other female adventurers like Nan Shepherd and Henriette D’Angeville, were far less well-known than their male counterparts. She set out to change that, by the incredible method of recreating their journeys, in the clothing they wore at the time. 

Join Lise now in the Cairngorms, to hear her stories of spending a month walking in the tweeds and poncho tent that Nan shepherd wore, travelling in David-Neel’s yak wool coat and preparing for an ascent of Mont Blanc in Henriette D’angeville’s tiny shoes.

Lise is an ambassador for Passenger Clothing a responsible outdoor clothing brand with a mission to inspire meaningful escapism. This summer we’ve been working with them on a few different exciting projects including a series of videos with some of this season’s podcast guests. We’ve also teamed up to create a pop-up holiday bus in the Lake District. Thank you to them for sponsoring this podcast episode.

https://www.passenger-clothing.com/

https://www.canopyandstars.co.uk/britain/england/cumbria/hinterlandes/little-firs-from-passenger

https://www.instagram.com/woman_with_altitude/

A Life More Wild is an 18Sixty production, brought to you by Canopy & Stars. Production by Clarissa Maycock. Our theme music is by Billie Marten.