Eyes closed, we let ourselves quietly settle into the ground, embraced by whatever we had chosen to lie on; clusters of heather, small bushes lined with drops of water from the rain that had finally let up, or a simple bed made of grass. For a few minutes, we lived and breathed with the mountain. In September 2023, our group of 9 mixed-ability women took part in the Following Nan microexpedition, intent on experiencing Scotland’s tumultuous Cairngorms with pioneering Scottish mountaineer, author, and educator Nan Shepherd’s teachings in mind.
In her now-famous book ‘The Living Mountain’, Nan writes on her life in the Cairngorms and her approach to mountaineering. She had a way of being with the mountain that we’d probably call “alternative” today; she did not place any importance on reaching summits, conquering nature, or beating personal bests. In fact, she despised this achievement-based mindset. She pursued a life of her own. A woman was not supposed to be out rambling and sleeping outdoors, especially not in the mountains; her place would have been at home, looking after the house and nuclear family. Nan rejected these expectations of women. She was involved in an unconventional relationship, never married, and never had children. She worked and taught. Much of her writing and what she taught in class shared her experiences of revelling in the sensuality of a thing – particularly nature.
The Following Nan microexpedition was organised in response to and inspired by ‘The Living Mountain’. When team leaders Hannah Westhenry, Jennifer McGowan, and Ruth Bidgood put the call out for teammates, they couldn’t have guessed the sheer number of people who would resonate with their message; many who either wanted to unlearn this conquering mindset or had avoided the outdoors because of it. And so, with Nan as our teacher, we learned to visit the mountain as if it were our friend. Almost 70 years after she retired from teaching and 40 years since she died, her lessons are still essential and – even after all this time – still rebellious.
Nan writes about visiting the mountain “as if it were a friend”.
Often, we look at a mountain and see a challenge, a conquest or an achievement to be made. We rarely stop to really see all of the parts of the whole living mountain; the mosses, the wildlife that lives there, the bodies of water and how they reflect the edges of the mountain upside down, the quality of the wind or the ice, or the very air itself. Do we stop to touch, smell, hear? Do we indulge in our very-much-human sensuality and our need for intimacy and connection when we are out in nature? How often do we simply “be” in our sublime landscapes?
Nan was doing that in the early 20th century, using her whole body to experience the whole mountain, not just one foot in front of the other until she got to the top. She indulged herself in the mountain. It was an intimate experience for her, and we as readers of her work are enriched for it; we gain a sense of the flavour of the mountain, the sounds, the feel, the movement. So much more than the usual story of what it was like getting from A to B in the least time possible. We also see this in ‘Nan Shepherd: Naked and Unashamed’, Richard Baron’s play exploring Nan’s unorthodox approach, showing her multifaceted experience of sensuality through her relationships with people as well as with her environment.
The Following Nan Project was created because we wanted to be part of this change, helping to push against barriers in outdoors and adventure culture, and aiming to build more inclusive and accessible spaces within these. We designed an expedition in what we understand to be Nan’s “style”; setting out not to conquer but to experience the mountains like she did. At the heart of this, we want to inspire women from all kinds of backgrounds, ability, and ethnicity to carve out their place in the outdoors, as Nan carved out hers.
Nan’s style is something we’d perhaps call slow mountaineering. Being present in the moment, noticing the local wildlife down to the tiniest mosses by our feet, and ultimately not racing to achieve any particular goal. It’s a type of mountaineering which can cultivate a deep love affair with nature in all its forms, one that takes time and puts no importance on purpose or achievement.
The mission of the Following Nan microexpedition, then, was to invite and encourage those who would normally avoid the mountains to get out in them, sharing the tools to do so as well as leading by example through real-life representation.
On the September 2023 trek, two talented filmmakers joined us. Emily Baker and Michelle Sanders are in the process of producing a film and documentary of the expedition and the Following Nan Project more generally – a way to help our message reach more people and to make real change. By representing a diverse and inclusive outdoor culture we can encourage confidence in other women to take that first step into the wild. The Following Nan film is due for release later this year.
The Following Nan Toolkit is also in the pipeline. Made for those who also want to walk in Nan’s footsteps, the toolkit includes guidelines for routes from day hikes to a 4-day trek, with wild camping and hiking tips, kit list and Nan-inspired activities included. Each route will have quotes that inspired the journey straight from ‘The Living Mountain’, so you can experience the landscape through Nan’s eyes.
Find out more about the Following Nan project, microexpedition, and toolkit at @following_nanshepherd.
The Following Nan Project is excited to be partnered with nature-inspired learning agency Explore What Matters and supported by Alpkit, Stay Wild, and a host of wonderful individuals through our GoFundMe.
Words by Ameena Rojee, Hannah Westhenry, and Jennifer McGowan.