View Full Version : Women Hikers in the Minority???
2009ThruHiker
11-10-2005, 10:50
Looking for some thoughts on a recent piece of information I found on AT Thru Hiking Completion:
"Out of the 10% that finish, only 10% of that 10% are women."
Is it because more men attempt Thru Hiking?
Or something more?
totempole99
11-10-2005, 11:12
I don't have any concrete proof here, but I find it hard to believe that only 1% of thru-hikers are women.
I don't have any concrete proof here, but I find it hard to believe that only 1% of thru-hikers are women.
Wrong reading of the numbers. They're saying that the women who complete their thru-hike make up 1% of the total of all people who started.
i don't... most of the hikers i've seen out and about anywhere, AT or otherwise, are overwhlemingly male... i once ran into the Univ. of Tn women's basketball or volleyball team hiking from newfound gap to double springs, but that's it... and they weren't backpacking, just dayhiking...but i'm sure someone out there knows the real answer, and will enlighten us soon...
2009ThruHiker
11-10-2005, 11:42
Perhaps I should quote the source of this info as well, a book written in 2000 by Adrienne Hall...A Journey North, one woman's story of hiking the Appalchian Trail.
It does state that 1% of finishers are women.
2004 a good 25-33% of the thruhikers I met were women and the understanding I had was that we have a higher completion rate than men do for whatever reason.
Given the nature of thruhiking statistics though, I doubt one can find hard and fast figures.
The Solemates
11-10-2005, 12:13
first off, the 10% completion rate you quote is a rate of the past. These days, completion rates are ever increasing, and since 2000 have averaged about 20%. Of the 20% that finish, I would venture to say that yes, about 10% of those are female.
So, say for example, in 2004 there were 540 completed NOBO thru-hikes (as atc states). I guess it makes sense in my mind that 54 of those hikes were female. Of course, this is an average. Some years this number could double, to say 100 completed female hikes. But there really is no way to tell. Its all a guess.
1 in 10 of the finishers being women sounds low!!!!!!
Footslogger
11-10-2005, 12:22
I guess my experience in 2003 may have been unique ...but of the hiker population I knew there sure seemed like higher than 10% numbers. In fact, I hiked the last 2 months in a pod of 4, two of which were women.
'Slogger
As far north as the Cabin Hostel there were seven women and only two men my first night and as far as I know all seven of us made it to the end.
TJ aka Teej
11-10-2005, 16:14
The ATC only counts people who report in as finishing the Trail. Data collected by Steve Longley and Baxter State Park seems to support the notion that less than 2/3s of thru-hikers send in to the ATC.
But Hall's numbers are extremely low - perhaps she's only writing of "pure" hikes from a "purist" point of view?
It is not mathematically realistic that only 10% of completed thru-hikes are accomplished by women.
Just the fact that couples often hike is an indicator that you will likely have 10% women finishers.
I don't know if journal entries is an indicator of a % of women thru-hikers, but the % would be at least 20. Of course, some might say that women are more likely to write a journal.
Also, some might say that men are more likely to finish an intended thru-hike than a woman, but I haven't seen any statstics to back that one up. I'll post that as a separate topic.
Almost There
11-11-2005, 12:26
Nope...fact is higher percentage of women finish an intended thru hike. More men finish...but more men start. I think it has to do with the type of woman who attempts a thru hike, they tend to be mentally tough and very goal oriented.
Wolf - 23000
11-11-2005, 12:33
I'm not sure about the percentage of hikers men vs women but the number I heard from ATC is 17% of the AT thru-hikers who finish are women.
Wolf
Like much of what is on this thread, this is only anecdotal...but my unscientific observation at Pass Mt. Hut (in person several times a week during thru-hiker Prime Time and reading the register) is that thru-hiking men outnumber thru-hiking women by a wide margin. Probably between 7 to 1 and 10 to 1. If you include all backpackers spending the night there (adding section hikers, weekenders, youth groups, etc.) the numbers get a little closer but it's still overwhelmingly male.
We have a double privy there, and when I took over co-maintenance a few years ago there were "Men" and "Women" signs on the respective doors. Last Spring, I noticed the "Men's" side filling up much faster than the "Women's" side, so switched the signs to even out the usage. Still unscientific but it tends to validate my observation above.