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Brown Gal Essentials
Part III: The Outdoor Industry, Colonized
Part III: The Outdoor Industry, Colonized
The Price of Being an Immigrant: Trading Your Dreams for Survival
The Price of Being an Immigrant: Trading Your Dreams for Survival
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion: 26 Ways (& More) to be an Ally in the Outdoor Industry
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion: 26 Ways (& More) to be an Ally in the Outdoor Industry
I Feared the JMT to be Courageous in Life
I Feared the JMT to be Courageous in Life
 
 
 

Welcome to the WORLD OF brown gal trekker!

Here's my story.

 
 
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FEATUREs

trek with brown gal

Join Brown Gal Trekker via her social enterprise, Peak Explorations, which markets treks worldwide.  Join a life-changing trek with our groups to go to Everest Base Camp, Kilimanjaro, Peru's Inca Trail and Ausangate Trek, South Africa's Drakensberg, Mongolia's Altai Mountains, Republic of Georgia's Caucasus Mountains, and plenty of other trekking destinations!  Learn more.

Be a Peak Explorer.
 

BROWN GAL TREKKER MISSION & GOALS

BROWN GAL TREKKER MISSION

NO BOUNDARIES

“If you are faced with a mountain, you have several options. You can climb it and cross to the other side. You can go around it. You can dig under it. You can fly over it. You can blow it up. You can ignore it and pretend it’s not there. You can turn around and go back the way you came. Or you can stay on the mountain and make it your home.”
— VERA NAZARIAN

BROWN GAL TREKKER GOALS

  • To inspire and support solo trekkers, especially women.

  • To explore and write about off the beaten mountain trails globally.

  • To talk about controversial topics and innovative ideas in the trekking and traveling world.

  • To support the mission of my social enterprise, Peak Explorations.

  • To trek the entire length of the Great Himalaya Trail in Nepal and document the lives and voices of women in the mountain villages of the GHT via blog, book publication and/or film.

AFRICA

Africa
Kilimanjaro Kills! Here Are 13 Ways to Survive
Kilimanjaro Kills! Here Are 13 Ways to Survive

Kilimanjaro almost killed me. The first time was no joke. Lessons were taught by the mighty Kilimanjaro on how not to mess with her without proper preparation and a healthy mindset.

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Are You Brave Enough? Summiting a Peak That Almost Killed You
Are You Brave Enough? Summiting a Peak That Almost Killed You

The summit, that is.  In just a matter of days I will once again come face to face with a mountain or a volcano rather that has instilled this lingering fear in me.  Her name is Kilimanjaro.

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Enjoying Nature: South Africa’s Table Mountain
Enjoying Nature: South Africa’s Table Mountain

It’s fair to say that many travel enthusiasts will have South Africa as one of the must see countries in the world.  The country has a diverse array of activities available to enjoy nature, from hiking to scuba diving to whale watching or shark diving.

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ASIA

Asia
The Indian Himalayas: Sham Valley Trek
The Indian Himalayas: Sham Valley Trek

Whenever I get the chance to explore on my own, I always find myself saying YES to it before I even get there.  On the first leg of my journey in India's Himalayan region of Ladakh and Leh, I knew ahead of time that I was going to spend almost two weeks exploring the scenery around Leh by myself. 

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The Holy Pilgrimage: Trekking in China's Yading Nature Reserve
The Holy Pilgrimage: Trekking in China's Yading Nature Reserve

The Discovery of Yading

How I feel about Yading is incomparable to all the other trekking or travel experiences I ever had.  It was in many ways the highlight of my trekking experience in China and I cannot express in words how relevant Yading has been in my life.

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Yading Nature Reserve Photo Gallery
Yading Nature Reserve Photo Gallery

Here are some photos taken during a day hike inside the Yading Nature Reserve. Yading is the most colorful during Autumn.

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EUrope

Europe
The Republic of Georgia Brings You Mountains and Unparalelled Hospitality
The Republic of Georgia Brings You Mountains and Unparalelled Hospitality

Situated between Europe and Asia, Georgia is a truly hidden gem for nature lovers. Georgia is bordered by four countries: Russia, Azerbaijan, Armenia and Turkey. On a whirlwind of a trip, I ventured into the four areas of the Caucasus Mountains.

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Fire & Zen: Stromboli
Fire & Zen: Stromboli

Stromboli was special. It always will be. On my journey through Europe, I was trying to decide where I wanted to spend the last year of my being in my 30s. Stromboli was my birthday peak.

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OFF THE BEATEN PATH: The Albanian Alps
OFF THE BEATEN PATH: The Albanian Alps

The Albanian Alps consist of the mountain range of Prokletije. The range covers three countries – Kosovo, Montenegro and Albania.

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south america

South America
Trekking with the Quechua Women in the Peruvian Andes
Trekking with the Quechua Women in the Peruvian Andes

There’s more than just Machu Picchu that can lure a traveler to Cusco and the Andes mountains. You have the historic towns, spiritual retreats, the Peruvian cuisine, and the beauty of Sacred Valley. 

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Peru's Cordillera Blanca: Santa Cruz Trek
Peru's Cordillera Blanca: Santa Cruz Trek

Many associate Peru with Machu Picchu.  However, Peru has more to offer hikers beyond just the famous Machu Picchu and the Inca Trail.  In fact, a lesser known region called Cordillera Blanca gives its visitors a feast to their senses with its world-class landscapes. 

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Trekking the Inca Trail: Why Go With the Crowd?
Trekking the Inca Trail: Why Go With the Crowd?

It's no exaggeration.  The Classic Inca Trail has to be on every list of top 10 treks in the world.

Hence, it can get crowded.   You may even be so unlucky that you lose out on the chances of getting a permit. But, don't be discouraged! 

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Featured
Easy Going 1st Day at Bruce Peninsula
Easy Going 1st Day at Bruce Peninsula

It was for a short weekend of about 4 days.  I have never been to Toronto and so finding a flight that was less than $200 round trip sounded like a steal. 

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Bruce Wins the Crown for Mr. Photogenic
Bruce Wins the Crown for Mr. Photogenic

I don’t know about you but I do get a thrill looking at Carribean colored waters and white sand beaches. But what’s even better than that? Bruce Peninsula.

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Featured
Brown Gal Trekker's JMT Thru Hike Guide Northbound (NOBO)
Brown Gal Trekker's JMT Thru Hike Guide Northbound (NOBO)
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I Hiked to Heal in Sierra Nevada's Rae Lakes
I Hiked to Heal in Sierra Nevada's Rae Lakes

Have you noticed how happy people are on the trails when you go hiking?  I hardly imagine people without smiles or laughter when I go hiking. In fact, there's plenty of good energy when you are on the trail, whatever mountains you're exploring in whatever part of the world it may be.

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The Basics of Solo Long Distance Driving
The Basics of Solo Long Distance Driving

I solo trek all the time on muti-day treks but can a trekker handle solo long drives? 

I have a 16 year old car that just reached over 100,000 miles a few months ago.  I realized I have not driven it as much and when an opportunity arose for me to head over to Arkansas for an Outdoor Blogger Summit, I decided that perhaps it’s time for me to take my Toyota Echo for a drive.

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READ BROWN GAL TREKKER'S ARTICLES VIA

 

AWARDS & AMBASSADORSHIPS

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BEST DIVERSITY BLOG AT OBS 2017

BEST DIVERSITY BLOG AT OBS 2017

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Come One, Come All

contributions & Guest posts

Hear My Voice

The Brown Gal Podcast

 
 
 
 
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See the Stories

brown gal instagram

Never suppress playfulness in nature. Photo: Hiking with friends made my latest visit to Machu Picchu magical...2 furry ones to be exact. #browngaltrekker #peakexplorations #hiking #trekking #travel #travelblogger #nomadlife #nomads #sheexplores #womenwhohike #womenwhoexplore #wanderlust #adventure #peru #andes #neverstopexploring
Thanks to House Hunters International coming to film my life in Peru, I finally got my lazy nomad self to get my annual haircut. Last year it was $2 in Manila, now it's$15. My budget went up a little but worth it, no? Thanks Ioana Mihai for your hairstyling talent and for cleaning up this nomad a bit. #browngaltrekker #peakexplorations #nomad #nomadlife #travelblogger #trekking #travel #hiking #backpacking #sheexplores #womenwhohike #womenwhoexplore #wanderlust #adventure #peru #andes #explore #neverstopexploring #backpacker #backpackers
Today I hiked up Huchuy Qosqo to see my group of women hikers who are supporting the Quechua women as guides and porters. To change the trekking industry requires support from all angles - tourists, operators, local community, the government, foreign partners, the media etc. Thanks to those who have supported the work to create inclusion for women on the trails in Peru's Andes. Women are the future of the trekking industry worldwide. Join our all women trek - various dates set for the rest of the year. See https://www.peakexplorations.com/peru-all-women-trek #browngaltrekker #peakexplorations #evolutiontreksperu #hiking #trekking #travel #travelblogger #peru #sheexplores #womenwhohike #adventure #womenwhoexplore #neverstopexploring #mountains #cusco #machupicchu #explore
What defines a feat on outdoor media stories? I have been perplexed having been doing research on the trekking tourism industry. On western media, western climbers are celebrated with one time ascent of a peak. What if I tell you I have met many Nepalis who have done Everest climb multiple times? Or Tanzanian guides who have climbed Kilimanjaro over 200 times? Or local climbers in Peru who did first ascents but overshadowed by the effort of a white man from Europe or U.S. simply because they recorded it somewhere on a western database. Would you think for a second as a westerner foreign to the place you are targeting to earn your glory: did you really climb the peak first? Maybe, just maybe, indigenous locals did it before you. Or maybe you did it with them - but where is the recognition for their effort? Most of the time locals are utilized to get a white man to the top. How did this become normal and acceptable? Locals are not chattels to use for your own glory. So, I'm privileged in my life to meet the REAL first ascent climbers and the REAL record breakers whose achievements remain untold. None of these people who I have met made the headlines on western media, not in the slightest simply because a predominantly white run media outlet like Outside Magazine or Backpacker Magazine could care less about these stories. Will media ever realize the level of inequity and the traces of colonialism inherent within the stories they choose to tell? I sort of doubt it. But I wish to be proven wrong. Photo: In Tanzania, I met this wonderful powerful guide, Innocent T, who climbed Kilimanjaro over 200 times and he's only 33. He climbed the peak while guiding others - and you ought to know taking care of people while climbing isn't an easy feat. It takes a set of other skills beyond what a normal climber possesses when he's all in it just for his own ego and glory. That in and of itself is worthy of acknowledgment and admiration. #decolonizeclimbingstories #decolonizemedia #browngaltrekker #peakexplorations #hiking #trekking #travel #nomadlife #nomads #wanderlust #backpacking #neverstopexploring #tanzania #sheexplores #womenwhoexplore #womenwhohike
What if mother's day is a source of pain in your life? No, not all of us have fond thoughts or moments when it comes to our mothers. I'm not alone on this I'm sure, having experienced a toxic/abusive/unhealthy relationship with my own. My mom passed away in 2017 and I have to admit mother's day has become a much more tolerable ordeal. I'm truly myself on those days, never pretending again. While she was alive, her special day was defined by anger, resentment, unhappiness and unrealistic expectations of her children. And as much as such disposition of hers emanated not from her conscious doing but rather from the disease of her own subconscious mind, as her daughter, I could only endure so much of it. My mother has created a trap for us, her children, that we now have to obliterate for the rest of our lives. Mothers are highly symbolic of unconditional love. What happens when your mother doesn't live up to that expectation and destroys your fundamental sense of self? In my world, in my earlier years, coping meant relying on the external forces - friends, both fleeting and permanent, work addiction which led to excelling in academics and my career, short term relationships that provided only short term superficial relief, material possessions and all of these things that most people will gravitate towards to ease their pain. But in my life, only one avenue became the entry point towards self preservation. That happens to be mother nature. She demonstrated the unconditional love that my mother couldn't seem to ever emulate. In the mountains, there's nurturing, acceptance, and love that doesn't require proving my value. A decade later, I realized I was the the very person giving the love, acceptance and nurturing to my own self. I think it's important to create a space for all of us to become honest with our own experiences on this yearly celebration rather than to follow along with the romanticized version of mother's day. If you're one of us who has or had a complicated relationship with your mom, know that unconditional love only comes from one person. Not from your mom but you. #hiking #trekking #sheexplores #womenwhohike #neverstopexploring #travel
My office space is shared with 2 furry friends today. #browngaltrekker #peakexplorations #hiking #andes #peru #trekking #travel #travelblogger #nomadlife #nomads #sheexplores #womenwhohike #womenwhoexplore #neverstopexploring #backpacking
Are you still creating an impact? If so, who's definition of an impact are you creating? I don't talk much in detail about my work as an ex-prosecutor in the field of child abuse and neglect law but the pull I experienced towards leaving it behind and moving towards helping others in a different way was rooted in the notion of systemic processes that no longer serve the targeted audience. In my work, I served a predominantly African American community in Washington, DC. Think families that are below poverty lines and are on welfare. Think dilapidated housing, homelessness, chronic mental illness and substance abuse. I specifically defended the safety and well-being of children and youths in D.C. by removing them from abusive and neglectful home conditions. Fifteen years of that work entailed asking myself towards the end of it: Am I still creating an impact? And if so, who's definition of an impact am I creating? Is it mine or someone else's? Asking the tough questions such as the above can lead to an epiphany which happened in my case. I did create an impact still and yet the lack of fulfillment arose from realizing the impact I'm creating is someone else's version, not mine. Disalignment between theirs and mine became at issue. I knew these families could be served better and yet the system was too broken to even realize the need to make systemic changes. So, I left knowing my gifts can serve humanity in a much more effective way with my own definition of impact. Don't ever settle for someone else's definition of change or impact. You can create your own that will fill the gaps and pave the way for innovation that our systems desperately need. They will call you crazy for doing so and yet crazy is better than a system that thrives on stagnation. You know what else is crazy? I'm told I can visit Machu Picchu for free every Sunday, thanks to my being a resident of Cusco. That's the crazy I love. #browngaltrekker #peakexplorations #FromaLawyertoaMountainNomad #hiking #trekking #travel #travelblogger #nomadlife #nomads #wanderlust #sheexplores #neverstopexploring #womenwhohike #womenwhoexplore #backpacking #machupicchu #peru
PATAGONIA FULL CIRCUIT TREK (14 DAYS) We're adding the following dates for 2020: January 30 to February 12, 2020 February 14 to 27, 2020 March 3 to 16, 2020 AND 3 more spots for the January 15, 2019 departure (if permits are still available). Apply no later than May 30, 2019 (permits sell out months in advance). These treks will be led by our woman trail leader/guide from Chile as part of our mission to advance the roles of women in the trekking tourism industry. Spots are limited for the above dates. Click link on bio to learn more or go here: https://www.peakexplorations.com/patagonia #browngaltrekker #peakexplorations #hiking #trekking #backpacking #womenwhohike #womenwhoexplore #sheexplores #neverstopexploring #patagonia #travel #travelblogger #womenempowerment #mountains #wanderlust #adventure
Self love & inner peace: Attaining them creates a new kind of fear When people ask me the relevance of mountain trekking and traveling in my life, the question often takes me back to my journey towards self-love and inner peace. I never found both in any of the family members or friends or romantic partners I've had all my life. To attain both, I had to create a clear and conscious intention to find them for myself. And searching, I did, which required extensive traveling and trekking, all by myself. The process in a nutshell was comprehensive and detailed. And even more so, unique. But as one becomes solidly connected to one's self-love and inner peace, a new internal struggle emerges (unexpectedly) and that subsequent struggle is the fear of losing either one. Once we attain self love and inner peace, what are the chances of these two things being taken away? I must confess I have this exact fear. I fear that if I allow certain people in my life, that they will destabilize the peace and love I've found for myself. Admittedly, I have run away, whether consciously or not, from situations and people so I can fully preserve these two conditions in my life. Somewhere along the way, my trauma, like everyone else's created a distorted view on self-love and inner peace. It made me want to possess and control, rather than let the conditions flow freely while trusting that self-love and inner peace are both innately part of me; hence, to fear losing them is illogical. The truth is self-love and inner peace are infinite. We only lose either one if we allow it. To have self-love and peace relies heavily on our free will to choose both in our lives. Surely, there will be days where love or peace is minimal or even lacking. Those are the times when I tell myself - I always have the choice to regain self-love. I always have a choice to regain my inner peace. #browngaltrekker #peakexplorations #hiking #himalayas #trekking #backpacking #travel #travelblogger #sheexplores #adventure #nomadlife #nomads #womenwhohike #womenwhoexplore
I deliberately remind myself today that in moments of indecision, ambiguity and confusion, the universe provides the signs to guide my way back to the intended path. In such circumstance that I find myself, I ask the universe for clarity. Not a cryptic message but 100% clarity. It has always delivered when I asked. It is this faith that paved the way for me to leave my life in America so I can fully live the joy in my heart and to carry out a purpose that I honor each day. #browngaltrekker #peakexplorations #FromaLawyertoaMountainNomad #hiking #trekking #travelblogger #travel #nomadlife #nomads #sheexplores #womenwhohike #womenwhoexplore #wanderlust #neverstopexploring
A marmot looking at Marmot. Find joy in simple things especially in nature. Photo: Hiking up Arapaho Glacier in Colorado.#browngaltrekker #peakexplorations #hiking #trekking #travel #travelblogger #nomadlife #nomads #backpacking #womenwhohike #weareoutdoor #womenwhoexplore #sheexplores #mountains
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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