Today, March 8th, marks International Women’s Day (IWD) but here at FATMAP we are celebrating women in the outdoors for a full week via our socials!

Since the first IWD gathering in 1911 until today, groups around the world have celebrated the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women. Let's make this year another one to remember!

Read on for some inspiration.

Ambassadors

This week, we’re taking a closer look at our female ambassadors. This group of awesome, active women is pushing boundaries in both the sports they pursue and showing what women can achieve in a predominantly male-orientated outdoor industry.

They each have their own stories to tell, adventures planned, and achievements reached.

Check out some of their new adventures and feats below and make sure to hop onto our Instagram account to read more profiles! Our Instagram #MyHomeRun project will also highlight each ambassador’s favourite route - take a look at some of these out below for some inspiration.

And this is just a handful of our amazing FATMAP ambassadors. There are many more to celebrate, so make sure to stay tuned via our Ambassadors webpage and socials for new info rolling in every week.

Kylee Toth

Pro ski mountaineer Kylee has been crushing it this winter. She came in fifth place in the individual skimo event at the French National Cup in Aussois, on 14 January. Check Kylee’s route here.

As if that wasn't enough, on the weekend of 18 February, Kylee finished 21st in the individual, 18th in teams, and 26th in sprint, which was mid pack at the ski mountaineering World Cup circuit in Val Martello Italy. Take a look at her route here.

Photos by skimotats

Erika Vikander

Pro snowboarder Erika competed at the Freeride World Tour this year, where she grabbed third place at Baqueira Beret in Spain in late January / early February. Last month, she came fifth in Ordino Arcalis in Andorra. Take a look at her epic line here.

Plus, check out her incredible first place run from last year's Freeride World Tour at Kicking Horse Golden!

Abby Cooper

Ever wondered how to get that awesome shot in the backcountry? Or why terrain always look so flat in photos?

We teamed up with creative director and internationally published photographer Abby Cooper who took us behind the scenes on a photoshoot in the British Columbia backcountry.

Episode 1 (view it above) of the 2-part mini series looks at the ‘in-house’ planning from weather and avalanche forecasts to packing her bag for photos and her backcountry expedition.

Pascale Steeger

In December 2022, Pascale and her team at AndesNomade installed a safety totem on Volcán Villarica in Chile.

And they’re not stopping there! They plan to install seven more totems across popular backcountry areas in the country, each highlighting the route on FATMAP for everyone to safely enjoy. Do we sense more flights to Chile being booked soon?

What draws you to the outdoors? What inspires you?

"The moment when you feel free, full and you can't be happier, for me it's the simple moment when you reach a summit, go down an incredible snow line or a good downhill bike ride. And what better than to share those moments with our friends. I think that's all that makes my life happy."

Anastasia Bouzdine

Anastasia summited the Aiguille d’Argentière in February 2023

What inspires you? What draws you to the outdoors?

“When I’ll grow old, I won’t remember the time I spent in the office, the bills I paid, or the trains I missed. So go out there in the wild, and climb, or ski that awesome mountain!”

Anastasia’s #MyHomeRun route is the Pollux Gully climb. Why? “I chose this line because it's the perfect playground right in my backyard; great to practice rope work, alpinism skills, steep skiing and climbing. Pollux gully next to Châtillon is a very aesthetic gully, visible from the approach (500m on skis from Les Mosses).

The couloir gets steeper and steeper, more and more narrow as you get in; until the final two mixed pitches which lead you to the summit. You can choose between skiing down the couloir after rappelling down the mixed pitches, or ski down the NE side of Châtillon. A nice fun journey with a bit of everything!”

Part of her challenge to climb all 39XX-metre peaks in the Swiss Alps, Anastasia aced the Aiguille d’Argentière last month.Take a look at her route here.

Hear what the challenge is all about in her own words in the short video below:

Nat Segal

Released in October 2022, freeride skier Nat's movie Beyond Begie was a moving ode to Mount Begbie, and to Indigenous groups and mountain sports enthusiasts. The movie beautifully explained the history of Begbie and the people linked to it.

It aired at a number of Canadian film festivals, including Banff Mountain Film Festival, Vancouver International Mountain Film Festival, and Whistler Film Festival - and was a total hit!

Just take a look at the movie trailer below:

Nadine Wallner

Two-time world champion and Red Bull athlete, Nadine, is pushing forward the next freeride talent, acting as a mentor and encouraging young women to sign up for her awesome OFFLINES Freeride Camp in Arlberg, Austria.

During this month-long freeride training camp, Nadine and pro rider and freeride coach, Stefan Häusl, demonstrate how to polish freeride skills and invite pros to share their outdoor stories and tips with 13 rookies.

Nadine’s #MyHomeRun choice is the Grubenspitze Cornflakes couloir.

Her reasons for her choice? “I grew up and still having my base at the Arlberg in Austria. I'm a professional freerider and a UIAMG mountain guide! The couloir I'm sharing here is a fun mini golf steep skiing line which is hard to get in perfect conditions. Because of its exposition but also of its different altitude of the starting point and where you end up. That's why I call it conflakes couloir. Either the top part is a bit crispy, when the down part is soft or the top part is soft and the down part is already soaking soft. :D So the solution is, ski it in powder conditions! ;)”

Stephanie Ortiz

Squamish-based skier Steph reaches incredible heights in the outdoors and has a lot of inspiring reasons as to why she adventures in the mountains - predominantly pushed forward by what other women are doing in the sphere!

#MyHomeRun: Check out Steph’s favourite route here.

In her own words: “I input this route and chose this as my home run because the snow and terrain were second to none. We managed to access this zone easily by staying at the Journeyman backcountry lodge in the Callaghan —which should be on everyone's bucket list.”

What draws you to the outdoors?

The outdoors is where I find calm, focus and a way to escape the demands of everyday life**.** It allows me to quiet my mind and encourages me to be fully present and in the moment.

The deep relationships I develop through shared outdoor experiences keep me coming back for more

Who inspires you to adventure outdoors?

Professional female skier Michelle Parker! Because she's an absolute crusher in the mountains, but also because she's grounded, positive and values being a good person above all else.

What inspires you to adventure outdoors?

I'm inspired when others/females manage to bring a compassionate, fun and positive attitude in uncomfortable outdoor situations.

I'm driven by sharing my knowledge and experiences with other females because inclusivity is so important in this space — even if that means occasionally throwing a friend into a type 2 fun situation to show them what they're capable of

Sarah Kaufmann

Skier and general mountain lover, Sarah Kaufmann, has a clean and simple answer to what draws her to the outdoors: “Always saying yes to new adventure.”

Roksana Kielkowska

Check this out - Roksana has been on the road cycling since April 2022. So far, she’s cycled from France to Central Asia, and is now on her way to Australia - powered by her own two feet. What a trip!

When asked what draws her to the outdoors, Roksana explained that “Being outdoors makes me feel alive and more confident”.

Team Spirit

Last but certainly not least, we’re sending a huge shoutout to the amazing crew of women who work behind the scenes at FATMAP!

This band of women is carving its path in not one but two male-dominated industries - tech and the outdoors - working alongside its male counterparts to create an industry-leading app. What a team!

See you out there!

Team FATMAP

Celebrating the Women of FATMAP