To celebrate International Women’s Day, this year we are highlighting some truly adventurous women who are a part of the Paddy’s Team. From our support office to our stores, these #PaddyStaffers love to get outside at any chance they get. Working with them we get to hear all about their epic adventures and passion for the wilderness on the regular, so we thought we would share some of their stories with you.  

Ranuka

Any chance to hit the trail, Ranuka is there and ready with her favourite Osprey pack on and her boots laced up. From from day hikes to multi-day treks she is up for the challenge and just loves being outdoors. Ranuka firmly believes that ‘Switching off from everything that’s going on and just enjoying taking experiences in as they happen is the best part of the trail” and we couldn’t agree more. She has hiked through the Langtang and Annapurna regions in Nepal and has recently returned from Overland track in Tasmania. She always packs a book on the trail, it may not be strictly ‘ultralight’ but the extra grams are definitely worth it, nothing beats a good book at the end of a long day.

 Paddy pallin Team Member Ranuka at home on the trail sitting on a cliff next to the ocean while wearing an osprey pack

Kerry

Climbing addict, Kerry, will take any chance to get her feet off the ground and onto a wall. Any day at the crag is a great day according to Kerry. Every holiday, no matter where is a climbing holiday for her, having climbed in Thailand, Laos, China, Germany, France and Turkey. Her favourite knot, is the double fishermen’s as it is super useful for safety on the wall, and also for making awesome friendship bracelets. Her top climbing tips are “Make sure to always tie a stopper knot, have a good belayer and always have fun!” 

Rock climber Kerry working hard climbing walls

Addy 

Addy is a bushwalking and cycling fanatic who has not skipped a beat since recently becoming an adventure mum! You can catch her clockin’ in the kms in the saddle around town as well as to and from work on her long commute whether it’s blistering sun, hail, or rainstorms, you won’t find Addy missing out on a chance to ride! She has recently been getting into the grove of adventuring with her bub and her advice to any new adventure parents is, “It’s not as hard as it seems. Don’t worry about it too much and just get out there and keep doing the things you love! One small step at a time, and to remember you don’t have to do anything big straight away. All the little adventures count too!” 

Paddy pallin Team member Addy out on the trail with her bub on her back

Phila

Phila is an Aussie born adventurer who is constantly smashing her goals whether it’s on the trails, in the water, in the saddle or whatever she takes up next! She is an epic ultra athlete who is always encouraging those around her to get out there and give it a go. Phila recently crushed an epic 400km ride in the saddle in her home state of QLD. You can catch her speaking at Brisbane’s encore screening of the Women’s Adventure Film Tour on Friday, March 13th. Some of her adventure highlights include the John Muir Trail in California, Crib Goch in Wales, a Winter trip to Walls of Jerusalem in Tasmania, and her 2 week long bike-packing loop on the South Island of NZ, especially the highlight that was Hawksburn Rd to Cromwell! For anyone setting their sights on their next adventure, Phila’s top tip is to “go do it! Do your research first – if you’re prepared you can be spontaneous and adjust to weather, conditions and know when there’s opportunity to explore a little more!” 

When asked about an adventure moment she is proud of, Phila said “Everytime things haven’t gone according to plan, I’ve been able to readjust and problem solve. For example, when coming down off Gould Plateau in thick clouds when I lost the route. Vegetation navigation was my newly discovered ‘Plan E’ as ‘Plan A’ to ‘Plan D’ were no longer feasible. I guess I’ve always proven myself to be more capable than what I originally think I am”.

A couple of books Phila has read in the adventure sphere are:

  • This Road I Ride: This Road I Ride: Sometimes It Takes Losing Everything to Find Yourself- Juliana Buhrig 
  • Bliss(ters) by Gail Frances 

Check them out! 

Paddy Pallin staff member Phila hitting the trail

Heidi

Whether its climbing, hiking, skiing, biking or canyoning Heidi is always down for an adventure. Not having grown up in a super outdoorsy family, Heidi has only recently adopted the outdoors but she sure has dived right in. After completing her first solo hike 2 years ago she is now hooked and planning on becoming a thru-hiker and trekking the Pacific Crest Trail this year. In her own words she loves the wilderness as “there’s no other place that offers the perfect balance of fun, challenge, tranquility, and perseverance. Essentially, nature makes me feel alive.” She believes strongly that she is the perfect example of how anyone, no matter your experience can love the outdoors, all you have to do is get out there! She is now fully committed to living out her potential in the wilderness and will head outside at any chance she gets. 

Paddy Pallin Team member Heidi out on the trail

Amy

Lover of all adventures, Amy never feels more at home than when in the outdoors. A self described ‘ski-bum’ Amy is never missing a chance to get to the snow and hit the slopes. Having skied overseas in Canada, USA and just getting back from a trip to Japan, it’s safe to say she is addicted to the snow. When summer comes around (and she isn’t in the Northern Hemisphere) she has to get her outdoors fix somehow. You can find her hiking, trying to surf (but more often wiping out), 4wding, or hanging out under the stars camping. Her favourite adventure buddy is her energetic Border Collie as he is always up for anything, whether it’s a day at the river, road trip or a day hike. Her biggest tip for getting out and finding adventure would be “If you don’t have anyone to go and explore with, just go on your own! I promise you will have an epic time!”

Paddy Pallin Staffer Amy, ejoying the fresh pow in Japan

Claudia

Claudia is all about the outdoors, if a mountain is involved she is there. Claudia is our Purchasing Manager and is always spreading adventure inspiration with her awesome photos and stories of her outdoor activity. She is lucky to call NZ her home and when she’s not in the office she’s out on the trails, in the snow, at the crag or in the water putting the gear to the test and finding the best products for our range!

Paddy Pallin team member climbing

Sophie

Sophie is a UK-born adventurer who is super keen to try all new outdoor activities. She has dipped her toes in the triathlon world, but lately has been spending her free time in the bouldering gym! Sophie has just set off on her first solo thru hike – she has clocked her first kms on the Te Araroa in New Zealand and we are so excited to follow along! Stay tuned on our blog and socials for trip reports, updates, and pro tips on how to complete a thru hike from Sophie!

Paddy pallin Staff member Sophie ready for a hiking adventure

Emma

Emma is Paddy Pallin’s Community Outreach Manager and a climbing extraordinaire! Emma is the kind of person who takes life by the reigns and goes for it. She drives sustainability initiatives, community engagement projects, and awesome events here at Paddy Pallin. When she’s not buzzing around Australia spearheading these projects, you can catch Emma in the climbing gym, on the trails, most recently on her new surfboard or planning her next adventure. When asked about her favourite adventure, she responded: 

“I have only been introduced to Outdoor Adventures in the last few years, I was invited to go Canyoning with some work mates a couple of years ago in Macquarie Pass, south of Sydney. This day took me straight out of my comfort zone by rappelling down 30m waterfalls and jumping from 5+ metres into breathtakingly cold waters. I was battered, bruised and exhausted at the end of the day but it cemented my love for outdoor adventures!”

Emma has the pleasure of working with outdoor and environmentally focussed groups across Australia. In light of International Women’s Day we asked her to highlight a female-led group she recently worked with: 

Women Want Adventure – Monique and the ladies at WWA are a group of adventure guides that offer a variety of trips for their clients looking to go on hikes, kayak tours, canyoning and even diving with whale sharks! 

Furthermore, when asked about an adventurous woman that she has recently worked with that she wanted to give a shoutout to she said: 

Emily is the founder of Climb and Wine in Sydney. She is a strong, powerful, supportive woman who has built a community of adventurous women who climb and drink wine occasionally. Emily has recently done some epic solo expeditions in Nepal and is currently planning on taking some of her Climb and Wine Community to Peru to bolt new routes later this year. 

Lastly, as someone whose climbing abilities have skyrocketed in a short time frame, we asked Emma for her pro tip for new climbers: 

Body position is something that took me a while to understand but as soon as I got it, my technique improved tenfold. My feet and hips do the work! 

Stay tuned for exciting initiatives and events that Emma has planned for the upcoming year. 

Paddy Staffer Emma out on the trail, where she is happiest

Well we are now definitely inspired to head outside and get moving after hearing all about these adventurous female #PaddyStaffers

Let us know what your favourite outdoor activities are and tag us in your adventures on Instagram as we love to see them!
#ExperienceIsEverything | #PaddyPallin 

About The Author

admin

Some 80 years ago, a young bushwalker's dissatisfaction with the limited and heavy bushwalking equipment available prompted him to design and make his own. Before long, word spread, and Paddy Pallin's lightweight, functional designs were soon in demand among fellow bushwalkers. From its early days the company has concentrated on supplying bushwalkers, travellers and adventurers with the highest quality and most advanced products and knowledge. Since 1930 the company has grown to become Australia's leading supplier of specialist outdoor and travel gear. The company, still owned by the Pallin family, now has thirteen stores throughout Australia as well as online, mail order and corporate sales divisions. We are using our vast wealth of knowledge, and experience, to build an online community where we can share our stories, reviews and tech tips to help you research and plan your next adventure.

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