The University of Idaho Argonaut

A member of the University of Idaho women's outdoor program rafting on a river in Alaska. The women's outdoor program has been offering programs for over 20 years. Courtesy Photo

At first glance, the University of Idaho Outdoor Program can be an intimidating place. The towering rock climbing wall, giant rental center and experienced outdoorsmen are overwhelming to many students new to the outdoors, and can be to some women.
The Women’s Outdoor Program has been offering an approachable outlet to the outdoors for more than 20 years.

Rachel Todd, the assistant coordinator for the Women’s Outdoor Program, surrounds herself with the outdoors and understands the importance of the program.
“We’re giving women the opportunity to test something out that they wouldn’t do in a co-rec setting,” Todd said.
She said many women feel turned off from trying something new in a setting with men.  The women’s specific outdoor trips and women’s-only climbing nights give women the chance to learn and try new things in the outdoors in a comfortable setting.

“The idea is not to segregate, but to give women the chance to try something in a male-dominated area,” Todd said.
Todd is in her second year with the Women’s Outdoor Program and was able to get work study for the program this year. She said she tries to spend as much time as possible in the woods or on the water and has organized six women’s specific trips for the semester.

She and Mike Beiser,  Outdoor Program Director, work together and cater to the different learning curves, intimidation and communication between men and women. Beiser said the general outcomes of a Women’s Outdoor Program is to recognize and celebrate the differences between men and women, integrate women into mixed group trips and give women the necessary skills in the outdoors.

Rachel Todd, the assistant coordinator for the women's outdoor program, climbs the rock wall at the Student Recreation Center. Courtesy Photo

Todd said people’s perception is that they have to keep up with the professionals and experienced outdoorsmen. Woman-specific trips are much more emotionally supportive and allow women to enjoy the outdoors in a less aggressive environment, she said.
“Women’s specific trips tend to be less competitive in nature,” Todd said.

She said there is a huge demographic of women whom attend trips from older university staff members to younger students
but people’s perception of the trips is wrong.
“They think it’s a bunch of lesbian feminists in the woods,” Todd said. “But it’s just women playing outside.”

Todd and Beiser presented a workshop explaining the reasons for developing a women’s specific outdoor program on Friday at the Women’s Leadership Conference. Beiser will travel to San Diego to deliver the presentation at an outdoor program coordinator’s conference.
In their presentation, Todd and Beiser said the program helps young women who haven’t developed self-identity yet. They said being in the outdoors forces them to trust others and instill a confidence in oneself. Woman specific trips give an opportunity to gain confidence and willingness to take a risk and hit the bigger rapids and higher peaks.