Buzz
When we think of explorers and adventurers, the image that often comes to mind is that of rugged, bearded men braving the unknown in search of new territories or thrilling challenges. But the pages of history are filled with women who rejected the conventional path of staying at home and instead embarked on their own daring journeys. These ten women ventured far and wide, seeking to broaden their horizons, secure their livelihoods, or simply driven by a spirit of adventure and the need to escape the ordinary.
10. Lady Hester Stanhope 1776-1839
Born into the heart of British aristocracy, Lady Hester Stanhope was the daughter of the 3rd Earl Stanhope and the niece of future Prime Minister, Pitt the Younger. Her adventurous spirit showed early when, as a young girl, she attempted to row a small boat to France, only to be caught before reaching her destination. Lady Hester’s intelligence and energy made her a natural choice to serve as hostess for the unmarried Prime Minister at official gatherings, later becoming his secretary. After his death, she was granted a generous pension from the British government for her service, which provided her the financial freedom to pursue her travels. Her journey took her to Athens, where Lord Byron famously swam to her ship to greet her. She planned to make her way to Paris to gather intelligence on Napoleon, but British authorities intervened, redirecting her travels to Egypt. After a shipwreck off the coast of Rhodes, Lady Hester adopted men’s clothing, a style she continued for the rest of her life. Her adventures in the Middle East were marked by meetings with Egyptian rulers, encounters with bandits, and visits to biblical sites, all of which contributed to her growing belief that she was a queen among the people she encountered. She became the first European to visit several cities, welcomed by their leaders. In Palmyra’s ancient ruins, Lady Hester convinced herself that she had been crowned Queen of the desert, a belief that she held until her final years, spent in isolation in a palace in Lebanon.
9. Annie Smith Peck 1850-1935
Annie Peck's academic journey flourished in her twenties, where she earned degrees in philology, excelling particularly in ancient Greek. This achievement set her on the path to becoming one of North America's first female professors. Peck further distinguished herself by studying archaeology at the American School of Classical Studies in Greece, making her the first woman to do so. Although she appeared to be on a steady academic trajectory, at the age of 44, Peck ventured into mountain climbing during a trip to Europe, becoming the third woman to conquer the Matterhorn. Upon returning to the United States, she sought out new challenges in South America, where she mistakenly believed she had climbed the highest mountain in the New World, Mount Huascarán. Later, the northern peak of the mountain was renamed in her honor. Throughout her life, she wrote about her travels and lectured on her adventures, continuing to climb even in her later years. In 1909, during an ascent of Mount Coropuna in Peru, she planted a flag at the summit bearing the inscription ‘Votes for women!’
8. Gudridur
Gudridur (or Guðríður) was born around 980AD in Iceland, and her remarkable life is chronicled in the legendary Icelandic sagas. Her travels spanned far beyond the reaches of most people of her time. Gudridur accompanied her father to the Greenland colony founded by Erik the Red, where she married Thorstein, Erik's son. Together, they set off with an expedition west of Greenland to a land known as Vinland (modern-day North America) to recover Thorstein's brother’s body. Unfortunately, the journey ended in failure, and Thorstein died on the return trip. Gudridur remarried in Greenland, this time to Thorfinnr, and together they attempted to establish another colony in Vinland. The saga recounts their two years in the New World. During this time, Gudridur gave birth to the first European child born in North America, her son Snorri. The Greenland Saga tells of the indigenous people they encountered, referred to as Skraelings. Initially, the Norse traded peacefully with the Skraelings, but tensions led to conflict, with the Norse emerging victorious. Fearing further attacks, they retreated to Greenland. Gudridur later converted to Christianity, and after the death of her second husband, she embarked on a pilgrimage to Rome. There, she met the Pope and shared her incredible adventures. Returning to Greenland, she became a nun and spent the remainder of her life in solitude as a hermit.
7. Harriet Chalmers Adams 1875-1937
Harriet Chalmers Adams inherited her love for the outdoors from her father, who, having no sons, took her on riding and hiking trips through the mountains. At the age of fourteen, she joined him on a year-long journey by horse through the Mexican borderlands. Upon marrying Frank Adams, they decided to delay their honeymoon until they could afford a thrilling adventure. Frank, an engineer, received a job offer in Mexico, and the couple turned this opportunity into an extended honeymoon. Harriet explored the ruins of the Aztecs and Mayans, many of which had only recently been uncovered in the dense forests. Captivated by Latin America, Harriet persuaded Franklin to take a job with a mining corporation, which would allow and financially support their travels throughout South America. Eager to document their journeys, Harriet taught herself photography. Her stunning photos and captivating storytelling made her one of the leading explorers of her time. Harriet’s travels became the subjects of articles, and she delivered lectures on her experiences. While most known for her explorations in South America, she also ventured to Asia, and when World War I broke out, she became a war correspondent. Since the Geographical Society did not permit women to hold full membership, Harriet helped establish The Society of Woman Geographers, serving as its first president.
6. Freya Stark 1893-1993
In her obituary, Freya Stark was referred to as ‘the last of the Romantic travelers.’ This description has solidified her place as one of the most beloved travel writers in the English language, and her adventurous life was full of remarkable experiences. Although she spent her early years in Italy, her youth was often spent confined to her home due to various illnesses. After a serious accident where her hair got caught in machinery, she underwent months of skin grafts, which kept her in the hospital. During her recovery, Stark taught herself Latin and spent her time reading. Her life of travel began in the late 1920s, and from that point on, she was always on the move. Her second book, *The Valleys of the Assassins*, recounts her journey as the first European woman to enter Luristan, in Iran. In the mountains, she mapped the area for westerners for the first time and explored the ruins of the Assassins' castles. Upon returning, she published the first of nearly thirty travel books that are still read today. During World War II, her knowledge of the Middle East and languages played a crucial role in fighting fascism. In Egypt, she founded a pro-democracy political group to counteract the fascist propaganda spread by German agents. After the war, she continued her travels and writing, and in 1974, she was made a Dame. She kept traveling until her death, often visiting friends and taking over their homes temporarily.
5. Nellie Bly 1864-1922
Nellie Bly, born Elizabeth Cochran, might be the most famous name on this list. Her adventures began thanks to her work as a journalist for the *New York World* newspaper. During the age of ‘stunt’ journalism, Bly’s first major report involved investigating a women’s lunatic asylum. To do this, she pretended to be mentally ill and was admitted into the asylum, where she endured the same harsh conditions as the patients. The food was rotten, the nurses were cruel, and the facility was unfit for human beings. Her expose on the asylum led to significant reforms in mental healthcare. Bly’s next big adventure brought her global fame. She set out to break the record for traveling around the world in less time than Phileas Fogg’s 80 days. On November 14, 1889, she departed with a special passport signed by the Secretary of State. Her journey began with seasickness but ended in triumph. In France, she met Jules Verne, who predicted she would complete the trip in 79 days—still a remarkable feat, but not the 75 she had hoped for. After crossing seas, passing through the Suez Canal, visiting Colombo, Aden, and a Chinese leper colony, and even purchasing a monkey, Bly returned to New York in 72 days, 6 hours, and 11 minutes.
4. Louise Boyd 1887-1972
Born into affluence, Louise Boyd used her substantial inheritance to fuel her passion for Arctic exploration. In 1955, she made history as the first woman to reach the North Pole, comfortably flying there by plane. After her parents' passing in 1920, she traveled to Europe and was drawn to Spitsbergen, where the ice captivated her. Boyd's first Arctic adventure took place in 1926, during which she spent her time documenting the environment through photography and film. Her expeditions to hunt polar bears earned her the title ‘Diana of the Arctic.’ Perhaps her most significant moment was aiding in the search for the legendary Antarctic explorer Roald Amundsen, who had disappeared while attempting to rescue a downed Italian airship. Boyd’s plane covered a vast 10,000 miles, though Amundsen was never located. In recognition of her contributions, she was awarded the Chevalier Cross of the Order of Saint Olav by King Haakon VII, becoming the first non-Norwegian woman to receive the honor. Boyd later led five expeditions to Greenland, earning accolades from the Geographical Society. In tribute to her legacy, an area of Greenland was named Louise Boyd Land in her honor.
3. Gertrude Bell 1868-1926
Gertrude Bell was many things in her life but is best remembered today for her role in shaping the nation of Iraq after the First World War. Bell was to have many firsts to her name; she was the first woman to receive a first class degree in History from Oxford, and the first woman to write a white paper for the British government. She traveled around the world twice. Once, while mountaineering in Switzerland, she was caught in a blizzard and spent two days hanging from a rope. Bell’s true calling came when she traveled to Tehran to visit her uncle. In the Middle East she taught herself the local languages and studied archaeology. Many archaeologists of the Middle East at the time were also serving as scouting intelligence agents, like T. E. Lawrence, whom she met at a dig. In 1915, she worked with Lawrence again in Cairo for the British Arab Bureau. Bell’s knowledge of the Middle East was used to help British army movements. When she went to Basra she made contacts with many important locals. Bell also met the future kings Abdullah and Faisal. At the post-war conference on the British mandate in the Middle East, Bell pushed hard for self-rule and helped to advise King Faisal. She is buried in Baghdad, the capital of a country she helped create.
2. Mary Kingsley 1862-1900
Mary Kingsley was never formally educated, but assisted her traveler father in his research. Her father tasked her with note-taking for his study of comparative religion, though when he passed away, the work was left unfinished. With no clear direction but some inheritance to support her, Kingsley decided to carry on her father’s legacy by studying West African religions. She asked the experts where she should go and what she should do, but was strongly discouraged from traveling. However, if she did decide to go, they requested that she bring back biological samples. With this in mind, she set off with only a small amount of luggage, a few sample cases, and a phrasebook with useful expressions such as “Get up, you lazy scamps!” Despite these humble resources, Kingsley made two trips to West Africa and later documented them in her book ‘Travels in Africa.’ She returned with some notable specimens of flora and fauna, including three species of fish named in her honor. However, the real impact of her journeys lay in how she reshaped Western views of Africa. In her lectures, she argued that the native people were not savages needing European intervention, but had their own rich cultures and independent minds. Kingsley tragically died of typhoid in South Africa while helping the wounded during the Second Boer War.
1. Kira Salak 1971-
Although the golden age of adventure for women might appear to be behind us, the world still offers vast territories waiting to be explored and documented. Kira Salak is a professional adventurer and writer who specializes in uncovering the stories of these far-off places. After earning a PhD in literature and travel writing, she embarked on a journey across Papua New Guinea, an experience that later became the foundation for her book ‘Four Corners.’ Since then, Salak has ventured into numerous countries, including Peru, Iran, Bhutan, Mali, Libya, and Burma. One of her most courageous endeavors took place in the Congo, where she followed the trail of mountain gorillas. Salak was smuggled into the country by Ukrainian gun runners, and the award-winning article she wrote about the experience offers a rare and vivid glimpse into a nation struggling with human rights issues, while also focusing on the efforts to preserve the gorillas. During her time in Bunia, Salak met child soldiers from local militias, and her writing, stripped of Victorian charm, brings attention to the harsh realities she witnessed. Yet, Salak’s travels also remind us that the world is still within reach for those who possess a thirst for adventure and a genuine curiosity about the unknown.
