This Organization Wants to Empower Women in the Wilderness

To all the women who wild—you know the power of having your girl squad on camping trips, in the backcountry or on the slopes. Alternative Routes is a new travel company that empowers women through women-led backpacking trips. Their first trip: the famed Havasupai Falls.

We are Alternate Routes. To us, the name says it all. We are those who take the path less traveled, both in the wilderness and in life. The best places are often the ones we stumble upon by accident, usually as a result of taking an alternate route. It’s the journeys others won’t take that take us to places others don’t get to go, right?

Technically, Alternate Routes is a company devoted to empowering women in the wilderness. We curate bucket list adventures and trips to places like Alaska, Havasupai, the Pacific Crest Trail, the Appalachian Trail, and many more. At the core of our business are the adventures we plan and guide, but we also provide custom trip planning for those who have a destination in mind and need the support of an experienced person to create an itinerary, put together the right gear list, or do some training to prepare you.

Our hope is that, to our adventurers, Alternate Routes will become so much more than just your tour guides and camp stove chefs. When we hit the trail or get out in nature, the stress of the world falls away. It’s the greatest feeling in the world to experience that connection with yourself and with the earth. It feels like coming home. We want everyone, especially women, to get into exploration mode and see more of the world while learning more about yourself.

We, the three of us, are entrepreneur Kimberly Novosel, attorney Ryan Rolston, and musician Sarah Peacock, (hi, nice to meet you!). We’ve all been playing outdoors in various ways, including backpacking, camping, rock climbing, and kayaking, since we were young. But Alternate Routes’ story begins during the summer of 2016 when Ryan and Sarah took the road trip of a lifetime. We were living out of a borrowed motor home because ours caught on fire and burned down in California just two weeks into our journey. We traveled up British Columbia, Yukon, and stayed in Alaska for most of the summer. Phone service, connectivity in general, and basic amenities that we all take for granted were luxuries for us during most of our trip. We found ourselves sinking into the beautiful sublime expanse of Alaskan wilderness, hoping never to return to reality. Well, reality came, but neither of us wanted to go home. On the trip home one of us said, “How cool would it be to start an adventure company so we can do this all the time!?”

We called our friend Kimberly who had just spent part of her summer on the trail in Washington State, knowing her passion for the outdoors and for self-development, plus her business acumen, would help bring our mission to life, and the rest is history. We’ve planned a full first year of trips beginning this Spring with the famous Havasupai Falls from April 14-18. This trip should be on everyone’s list, and it’s becoming one of the most popular U.S. destinations, making it incredibly difficult to obtain permits. Havasu’s beautiful red rock formations, turquoise waterfalls, and towering canyons are breathtaking. We’ll be exploring the cobalt blue streams, swim beneath roaring waterfalls, and even spend some time in the remote Village of Supai, the most remote village in the U.S. To us, the best part about our trips, besides the destinations of course, are the fact that they’re all inclusive. Your trip covers lodging, all your back country and overnight permits, meals, transportation to and from the trailhead from Phoenix, all your camping gear, and two full service professional guides that will be leading your expedition. Guides are WFR certified, and in addition to leading the group, they prepare meals and help set up camp. It’s really going to be a phenomenal experience.

Learn more about the Havasupai Falls Trip

Also, we’ll be listing our Alaska itinerary very soon. Our Alaska trip involves a step into several remote bush villages, glacier hiking, hot springs, and a few other awesome surprises. And, we’re going to be giving away one trip for free! Sign up for our email list to learn how to win. We believe anything is possible for anyone. We believe in following your heart and living your dreams. And if it’s been a while since you’ve connected with your heart, the wilderness is a great place to start. Come with us to find your alternate route!