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Her Odyssey arriving in Bow Valley after very long journey

After 27,700 kilometres by foot, raft, kayak and bicycle from South America to North America, the women behind Her Odyssey are preparing for the last leg of their journey to the Arctic in Banff.

BOW VALLEY – It is a journey that began in South America on Nov. 23, 2015. It was on that day that Bethany Hughes and Lauren Reed embarked on Her Odyssey, a human-powered journey connecting the Americas.

The quest has been anything but a small endeavour.

From November 2015 to October 2021, the women travelled about 27,700 kilometres by foot, raft, kayak, and bicycle. Over the course of South America alone, which took 730 days across six countries, the women went through 20 pairs of shoes.

“We’ve covered ground from three metres below sea level to 5,486 metres above sea level,” Hughes said. “We’ve walked through deserts, jungles, forests, and plains. Each requiring unique adaptations. I’ve been surprised by how handy an umbrella can be in most environments.”

The friends have travelled side-by-side for 22,500 kilometres of the trek. The only significant portion that they were apart was through the United States.

“Lauren, having already completed the Triple Crown, opted to help [travel] the Western Wildlands Bikepacking Route, while I hiked the Continental Divide Trail,” Hughes said.

Along their journey, Hughes and Reed engage with the local populations in storytelling, while learning how humans and animals are adapting to a changing planet. Her Odyssey emphasizes the progress in the uphill battle towards equal rights, especially in Latin America. The hope is that the expedition will challenge social norms and prejudices about women in the backcountry, while testing the determination of the adventurers.

“I was drawn to Bethany’s original idea of this trek for many reasons, the biggest one being I enjoy challenging myself,” Reed said. “I’ve worked with trouble youth in the wilds of Utah, hiked across the U.S. three times, what would be next? Walking across continents of course!”

With such a long journey, there have been challenges. This includes accessibility, route finding and environmental factors such as mudslides, forest fires, flash storms, earthquakes and even a volcano. Another challenge comes in the form of documenting the journey and creating digital content.

“Balancing covering ground, documenting the journey, proliferating digital content, pursuing growth of our platforms and maintaining personal relationships with well-being and rest,” Hughes said. “Showing up for personal growth, team dynamics, people we meet along the way, as well as sponsors and supporters.”

Throughout Her Odyssey, the friends have had many one-on-one interactions with people. Manuel, a rancher of the Magallanes region of Chile is one person who stands out.

“He pointed out that the landscape I was marvelling at looks different to someone who has chosen to be there, rather than having no other option or a way out,” Hughes said. “He was one of the most intelligent people I have ever met.”

From Peru to Mexico, the women walked alongside refugees who were carrying everything they had, a contrast to Hughes and Reed who travelled with only what they needed.

“The privilege of choice hits hard when you’re literally watching people carry their entire life down the side of the highway, trying to find somewhere safe to settle after being forced out of the only home they’ve known,” Reed said.

The paths taken by the women typically follow the paths of the Indigenous people who migrated through North and South America thousands of years ago. They also base routes on satellite imagery, GPS data, insights from locals, and their Gaia App route.

“I cannot pretend to comprehend the challenges the original peoples faced. I had a hard enough time getting through the willows and fens with all the latest equipment that I bear nothing but respect for anyone who has done it before us,” Hughes said. “I celebrate the resurgence of the voices of their descendants, and I appreciate that moving slowly is teaching me how to better listen and receive, and my body can identify with many of their messages.”

The journey has helped both Reed and Hughes see that it is about much more than simply travelling across continents.

“I’m doing this because I believe in it. Empowering others is bigger than myself,” Reed said. “It’s bigger than both of us and everyone else involved. This trek is about so much more than travelling across the Americas.”

While the journey started in 2015, the pandemic that began in 2020 would bring about some changes. The women first became aware of COVID-19 while in the highlands of Mexico. A few towns later, they were greeted by an abuelitas, grandmother, who kissed their cheeks and held their hands.

“In that moment, we realized that there was no way to respectfully deny this greeting and also if there was a chance, I could be introducing a virus, which would rob her of a single day with her grandchildren, I could not live with myself,” Hughes said.

The women would return to the United States, and both became vaccinated and began to wait for the easing of restrictions and the opening of travel.

“Since resuming travel, we have at times altered our route to respect specific communities wishes for precautions,” Hughes said. “Particularly Indigenous lands in Mexico and Central America where national policies do not account for the will of the people.”

In late April, they will be in Banff preparing for their final paddle that will take them from Jasper, along the Athabasca River, to the Slave River, the Mackenzie River and eventually, the Arctic Ocean.

“We plan to arrive at the end of April and will be working on gathering gear, preparing our boat and training until putting in along the Athabasca hopefully mid-May,” Hughes said.

To follow along on their journey, visit the Her Odyssey website at www.her-odyssey.org.

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