Walk With Us

Wild Camping, Glamping, and Trekking

Meet Our Guides

Susie Cowser

Lowland Leader

Welcome to Women’s Walks. I’m Susie and a qualified walk leader, wild camper and teacher. For as long as I can remember I have been walking up mountains, hill’s and along country tracks. Living in Brighton I am lucky enough to be right on the south downs with easy access to the North Downs, both areas of outstanding natural beauty.

I think like all of us over the last few years, I’ve realised how precious life is and sometimes a tad overwhelming! Walking for me has always been an opportunity to reflect and breathe. I’ve started women’s walks because I know there are lots of women similar to me who for whatever reason don’t want to walk on their own. Being able to connect with others while out in nature is a great way to make new friends while enjoying a bit of time to breathe. We will navigate so you can enjoy the fresh air and connect with other like-minded women.

Deborah Johnson-Cadwell

Lowland Leader

Walking has been an integral part of my life since I was a small child. Growing up in a small hamlet, nestled at the foot of the South Downs, the surrounding hills and countryside were my playground. As an adult it has always been an important aspect of who I am.

My children all developed excellent walking habits from an early age and consequently, as a family, we have been on many hiking adventures together, sometimes as part of fundraising campaigns, but many times just for the pure pleasure that comes from being in nature.

In my early 40s I was diagnosed with and treated for breast cancer. Walking became my lifeline. Initially to repair and rebuild my ailing body, to regain my strength after the aggressive treatment. But it also provided me with therapeutic wellbeing for my emotional distress and helped me deal with the trauma that a cancer diagnosis brings.

Since my illness, and subsequent recovery, walking has been a priority in my life. As my physical health improved my mental health took a step back as I was dealing with the trauma, and it has been through walking and spending time in nature that I have regained my inner strength and peace.

The power of walking and spending time in the woods or by the sea, rambling over moorland or marvelling at the majesty of the UK’s Mountain landscape cannot be underestimated. To be able to share this experience with others, to create connections and share our own stories whilst breathing in fresh air, is what I hope our time together hiking will bring for all involved.

Lesley Cleworth

Mental Health Advisor

Registered and active Mental Health Nurse

Spending time in green space or bringing nature into your everyday life can benefit both your mental and physical wellbeing. For example, being outdoors in nature can have huge positive effects on you.

I’ve always been a strong advocate of being outdoors and spending precious time on the things that help improve your mood and reduce feelings of stress or worry. Taking time out to experience new walks and scenery helps us to feel more relaxed as well as improve physical health. Meeting like-minded people can help improve confidence and self-belief. Connecting to nature, to new friends and to new experiences is such a great first step in the journey towards improving our health and well-being.

Walking is arguably one of the simplest aerobic exercises that we can do. Walking at a pace or distance that raises our heart rate is a great calorie burner and can help with improving how we feel because we know that aerobic exercise can help fight depression and anxiety – both of which are also, it seems quite common menopause symptoms.

It can often feel tempting to put exercise at the bottom of our list of things to do because of how we feel during menopause. This can obviously lead to weight gain. Just to add another complication, we know that often our metabolism is decreasing with age….one reason for this is the loss of muscle mass. The good news is that increasing muscle mass through exercise is therefore going to help.

It’s true that menopause can sometimes be a challenging time as we learn to adjust to our body’s many changes. Sometimes we may feel like our body is working against us, but here’s the thing, we can take back control. Regular exercise can be simple as walking because remember that moving can contribute to your physical and mental health. Everything takes a little effort to begin, but it’s never too late to take care of yourself.

Summer 2022

We are here to make it safe to get into the countryside and enjoy all that nature has to offer

During the summer of 2022 we are going to offer walking breaks in a variety of locations around the UK. We are up for wild camping and glamping as well as trekking some of the best know UK routes.

We are all about making sure that women enjoy their time while out and about with us. We have a range of walks to suit different needs so if you’re a beginner or feeling more like challenge there is a walk for you. All you need to do is bring your food and something to drink. Some walks will involve a stop at a pub / restaurant but we will let you know. With all of our activities we follow the countryside code and leave no trace principles.

In the next year we intend to travel further afield, Cornwall, Devon, Peaks, Brecon and the Lakes and ultimately who wants to join us in the Dolomites, Alps, Spain or Nepal? Just let me know where you would like to go and Ill organise it. And we are also looking at women’s retreat in Cornwall next summer. Places are limited so get in early. We’ll be walking, swimming, relaxing and chatting.