Think you need alpine access, fancy gear, or a mountain town zip code to train for a major expedition? Think again.

Rachel Fagiano is an avid hiker, mountaineer, rock climber and ice climber based in New York City.

They have a career background in racial justice, and now their work focuses on creating safe and welcoming environments and improving access to the outdoors for communities that have been traditionally excluded in those spaces.

We talk about:

• How a climbing Groupon led to a community of mentors and a new career
• What it’s like training for a 22,000+ foot peak from a sixth-floor walkup in NYC
• The mental edge urban training built for high-altitude expeditions
• Why they turned their Aconcagua expedition into a catalyst for career change
• How they’re now guiding across the U.S. and helping diversify the outdoor industry
• Tangible ways to practice resource and power sharing, no matter your location or means

Send this episode to somebody who you think should turn their adventure into a force for good by becoming a Trailblazer!

Mentioned in this episode:

• Rachel on Instagram
• Summit Scholarship Foundation
• Become a Trailblazer!

By the way, it's not too late to sign up for the June 100 Challenge!

Like this episode? Leave a 5-star rating and review on your podcast app!

• ⁠Become a Trailblazer⁠. Your Adventure Fundraiser makes wilderness experiences possible for girls and women.
• Check out the ⁠Summit Scholarship Foundation⁠.
• Share this episode with a friend or family member.

Make sure you subscribe to the See Her Outside Podcast so you don’t miss a story!

Brought to you by the Alliance for Gender Equity in Outdoor Adventure (GEA Alliance).

Hosted by Angie Marie Lake, edited by Alyson Castonguay, research assistance by Danielle Peecher

✨3 Adventure Opportunities:

1. Join the June 100 Challenge! Combine outdoor movement with storytelling and giving back. We’re uniting 100 women to accept the challenge and will give prompts for accountability and storytelling tips throughout the month of June! This is free to join and a wonderful way to make an impact through spending time outside.

   
   

2. RSVP for our free May 28th Trail Talk with registered dietitian Claire Shorenstein! Get your endurance and adventure nutrition questions answered. Sign up for free here.

   
   

3. Looking for a fun way to kick off the summer season? Check out the Wild Woman Trail Runs! The all-women’s 50k, marathon, half marathon, or relay team is a blast AND a perfect way to host an Adventure Fundraiser without having to plan your own adventure. June 21 in Washington State. Learn more here.

   
   

And for today’s See Her Outside guest…

Sharing an adventure with a friend can be an incredible experience, but that doesn't mean it comes easy!

Natalie Warren, author of Hudson Bay Bound: Two Women, One Dog, Two Thousand Miles to the Arctic, joined us for a peek behind the scenes of her life as an adventurer, author, and parent. We cover:

• Her adventure paddling from Minneapolis to the Arctic

• Tips for finding and having a great adventure partner

• How canoeing can be a fascinating way to observe society

• How writing about an adventure far in the past can be challenging

• The transition to motherhood and raising adventurous children

Grit Lit is our quarterly subscription box meets book club, celebrating women and adventure.

Members get a box every quarter full of woman-created goodies, including a nature-inspired book.

Interested in becoming a part of Grit Lit? Head to ⁠cairnproject.org/grit-lit⁠ to join and get the rest of the boxes this year, plus a welcome box! It’s a great gift for a friend, too.

Like this episode? Leave a 5-star rating and review on your podcast app!

• Become a Trailblazer. Your Adventure Fundraiser makes wilderness experiences possible for girls and women.
• Check out the Summit Scholarship Foundation.
• Share this episode with a friend or family member.

Make sure you subscribe to the See Her Outside Podcast so you don’t miss a story!

Brought to you by the Alliance for Gender Equity in Outdoor Adventure (GEA Alliance).

Hosted by Angie Marie Lake, edited by Alyson Castonguay, research assistance by Danielle Peecher

📢 RSVP for the free Trail Talk⁠ on May 28: Adventure Nutrition and Q+A | ⁠Sign up for the June 100 Challenge!⁠

🎧 Gunjan Utreja is a first-generation Indian immigrant to the United States who earned a master’s degree in engineering and built an 18-year corporate career.

A journey to self-care led her to co-found the HikeQueen Buddies community, which inspired the creation of MyTrailPals—a mobile app designed to integrate outdoors into everyday existence.

Angie and Gunjan talk about:

• Growing up in India and moving to the United States
• How early morning hikes with a friend spiraled into a large, active hiking community: HikeQueen Buddies
• The importance of "third spaces" for women outside of work and home duties
• Why Gunjan's creating the MyTrailPals mobile app to encourage community in the outdoors
• Managing self-care as a parent, entrepreneur, and outdoor enthusiast
• Tips for women looking to build their own community groups

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Send this episode to a woman who you'd love to go on a hike with.

Mentioned in this episode:

• Gunjan on LinkedIn
• MyTrailPals app and Instagram
• HikeQueen Buddies and Hiking Buddies of Bay
• RSVP for the free Trail Talk on May 28: Adventure Nutrition and Q+A
• Sign up for the June 100 Challenge!

• 
  

Like this episode? Leave a 5-star rating and review on your podcast app!

• Become a Trailblazer. Your Adventure Fundraiser makes wilderness experiences possible for girls and women.
• Check out the Summit Scholarship Foundation.
• Share this episode with a friend or family member.

Make sure you subscribe to the See Her Outside Podcast so you don’t miss a story!

Brought to you by the Alliance for Gender Equity in Outdoor Adventure (GEA Alliance).

Hosted by Angie Marie Lake, edited by Alyson Castonguay, research assistance by Danielle Peecher