One Woman’s Quest to Create an Outdoor Retreat Series for all Women
Group photo by Eylene Pirez
Raise your hand if you love vulnerability!
If the word vulnerability makes you want to run and hide don’t worry, you are not alone in feeling this way. Being vulnerable means letting your guard down and to some people that may mean exposing ourselves to possible harm. I must admit these days that vulnerability is one of my favorite things but it hasn’t always been that way. In my younger years I was constantly in fear of being judged or misunderstood. I was bullied throughout different periods in school and had difficulty with self esteem. The thought of spending a weekend or even a day with a group of women I’d never met before sounded absolutely terrifying to me. These days I try and take every opportunity I can to dive deep and explore with strangers, especially women, and I’m here to tell you that you should too.
When I first heard about AdventurUs Women through various threads on Facebook I knew immediately that I had to get involved. I have come to love outdoor retreats that are women centered and my experience at the AdventurUs Women Escape in Leavenworth, WA was nothing short of extraordinary. Before I replay all the amazing events that conspired that weekend I gotta give y’all the lowdown on the amazing Founder and CEO of AdventurUs Women, Saveria Tilden.
Saveria Tilden is one of those people that makes you feel welcome and that you have a place in her space the moment you meet her. For two years Saveria was the partner & program manager for REI’s Outessa, so she already knew a thing or two about running large scale women focused outdoor events. Saveria also serves as a regional event coordinator for Camber Outdoors, is certified as a wilderness first responder, Leave No Trace master educator, and AMGA SPI climbing guide.
After years of working in the outdoor industry Saveria was still convinced there were not enough opportunities for women of all ages and backgrounds to learn and experience outdoor activities. Saveria saw the immediate positive effects that Outessa had on the attendees so when REI decided to cancel Outessa she knew she had to start something on her own.
Creating the right environment wasn’t as hard as one might think because Saveria already had the heart for it. She related to many of the women that attended Outessa as someone that didn’t get fully involved in the outdoors until her 30’s. “I remember going backpacking for the first time in my 30’s and thinking this is so awesome but is it too late? Is it too late for me to start all this?” It didn’t take long for Saveria to realize that it’s never too late to try something new. “I wanted to provide a safe environment and space for women of all levels to come and learn about different outdoor actives that they might not otherwise try.”
One of the most important things to Saveria when planning the Escapes was that it needed to be run by women. Saveria partners with women owned businesses and each activity is led by a woman or femme identifying individual whenever possible. Creating opportunities and removing barriers that might prevent a guest from trying something new was also key. It needed to be clear that women of all ages, race, size, background, and experience levels, were welcome at the Escapes.
A lot of times the barriers that we face are ones of self-doubt and the insecurity of meeting new people. It can be really intimidating to meet a group of women all at once for the first time! Saveria has witness first hand the different emotions that attendees go through, “It’s almost like camp - the first night everyone’s a little excited, a little nervous but by the end you see all the connections that were made. It transitions from nervousness, excitement, and fear to realizing there are all these other women who are totally different than you but also just like you.”
All About the Leavenworth Escape
AdventurUs Women is currently running two Escapes in Leavenworth, WA and Bend, OR. All Escapes are held at LOGE Camps in beautiful settings that encourage one to connect with nature and themselves. The Leavenworth Escape is a smaller, more inmate gathering (our group included 11 women from from all across the country), while the Bend retreat has the capacity to be as large as 120 women.
We all arrived at different times on a beautiful Thursday afternoon in late September. We settled into our cabins at LOGE and then got dinner as a group in the heart of downtown Leavenworth (all meals were provided each day except Thursday evening). Our evening ended with some wine and a welcoming chat from Saveria about what to expect in the coming days.
Our first day waking up at LOGE was a chilly but sunny day. As I walked toward the main cabin, where we would meet for meals and workshops, the comforting smell of breakfast seeped from the cracks in the windows. This quickly became one of my favorite parts of each day - we were spoiled non-stop with incredible food made fresh by our own private chef, Becky Selengut.
Food was not the only way in which we were spoiled. We had an awesome swag bag packed with all sorts of goodies, access to complimentary beer, wine, and cocktails all weekend (with plenty of non-alcoholic options as well), and we had two personal growth workshops lead by marvelous coach and author, Steph Jagger.
Each day was packed with activities from paddle boarding and kayaking to climbing to yoga and hiking. Some of us were newbies and some of us were seasoned regulars but despite the differences in levels we all thrived together. We laughed non-stop, we showed our vulnerable side and few of us shedded tears. We shared our fears and insecurities, but most importantly we connected with one another. I truly didn’t want to say goodbye when it was time to go.
Saveria has created something that comes from her heart and I feel incredibly fortunate to have been apart of her kickoff year providing these events. The mission of AdventurUs Women is ‘create safe learning environments that encourage friendship and skill building while also connecting with nature in beautiful settings’ - I think it’s safe to say that Saveria has done just that. Whether you have been on a retreat previously or not I can’t encourage you enough to check out AdventurUs Women - tell your friends, your mom, your daughter, everyone!
“...by the end you see all the connections that were made. It transitions from nervousness, excitement, and fear to realizing there are all these other women who are totally different than you but also just like you. ”
A big thanks to all of the sponsors and partners that made this event extra special: Coach Steph Jagger, Chef Becky Selengut, Photographer Eylene Pirez, Osprey Rafting School, Northwest Mountain School, LOGE, Brown Family Vineyards, HydroFlask, Leki, Outdoor Research, House Wine, and Smash Mallow.