Like many Muslim women, I didn’t grow up in an outdoorsy family. A few years ago, I actively tried to get us all hiking and pushed for us to journey up Scafell Pike in the Lake District. That was a mission on many levels. Aside from having to make a weekend of it, it was impossible to persuade them to leave the beaten track once we arrived.

I’d hoped that once they’d been won around by the breathtaking scenery, everything would fit into place… but I was wrong. Neither of my parents wanted to risk walking on the uneven, rural track – despite the fact that scores of hikers were trekking past them. It was frustrating but totally predictable.

Mine isn’t an unusual story. In fact, the vast majority of the people I grew up with don’t ‘do’ the outdoors with their families either. And yet, there seems to be a surge of Muslim women heading into nature these days. You’ve got climbing groups, hiking squads, trail running teams – all made up of Muslim women intent on moving their bodies outdoors. The question is, why now?

Tayyiba Mota’s love of the outdoors began with a charity hike. “It was August, and we were fortunate enough to have experienced a full day of sunshine on the Welsh mountain. I can remember just being in awe of how gorgeous the lake looked at the bottom of the valley,” she tells Strong Women.

Nowadays, she and her sister Husnaa take any opportunity to enjoy the outdoors. Often, that’s with their brother Haroon Mota, who set up the Muslim Hikers group back in 2020 as a way of encouraging the community to get active in the open air.

Inspired by the sisters, I decided to try hiking again – this time with a peer group. Picking their brains about which walking collective I should tag along with, they suggested joining Muslim Hikers or the Merrell Hiking Club – two groups regarded as being most welcoming to Muslim women. There are quite a few other groups out there who are putting diversity and fun at the heart of their walking adventures, like Steppers and Peaks of Colour, but I plumped for the Merrell Hiking Club simply because it had a walk coming up relatively locally in Epping Forest. 

At this point, I should say that it’s not massively important for me to hike with fellow Muslims. My mission to find a walking group was more about knowing that I wouldn’t be the only non-white person in place. When I rocked up on the day, I found that the hike was full of people from all different backgrounds –not just Muslims – and that was incredibly uplifting, given the fact that the outdoors still has a diversity problem.

“If I join a group walk, I’m likely to be the only Black and Muslim person there,” says 34-year-old Munara Ali on the day. Ali is a confessed lover of walks, often exploring the Royal Parks on her own.

“There are now lots of groups popping up for people of colour. There’s even a Black-founded platform for birdwatching called Flock Together, which is really encouraging,” she continues.

As I stumble around the forest trying to take artistic shots on the move, Kelly Smith from the Black Tri Tribe, the first UK triathlon club specifically designed for people of colour, rolls up next to me and starts dropping nuggets of information about Epping’s trees. While the forest is relatively accessible if you want to do an unorganised walk, I’m a total nature novice, so I appreciated the group leader and Smith sharing their in-depth knowledge.

Smith grew up doing outdoorsy activities, but appreciates that hers is a often a rare experience within communities of colour. With that in mind, Black Tri Tribe is busy trying to get more people involved with swimming, cycling and running by offering knowledge and expertise. 

That’s also the goal behind creative agency Female Narratives founding the Merrell Hiking Club. There are plenty of grassroots movements championing inclusivity in the outdoors but they need a bigger platform – something they seek to provide.

It’s important to stress again that although events like the one I’m at might be aimed at under-represented communities, it’s not exclusive to people of colour or women. A few men joined in with the 50-strong group of hikers I was in Epping Forest with; the main point of these groups is to include previously excluded communities rather than to keep others out.

“Because they see ‘Muslim hiker’, [people think] only Muslims can go on that hike – but that’s not the case. Everybody’s invited,” explains Isma Ashraf, 52, based in Lancashire.

The main point of difference, apart from the optics, is that a Muslim Hikers outing offers walkers the practical advantage of being able to pray on time with other Muslims who observe the five daily prayers.

Despite having always enjoyed being in nature, Ashraf, who is on the senior team for Muslim Hikers, says that motherhood and having a lack of people to walk stopped her previously from engaging with it on the level she would have liked. These days, she’s out every weekend and is about to start working on her mountain leadership course. 

She’s also started spin-off WhatsApp groups for local women to interact and arrange hikes, walks, biking and even swimming lessons. Covid, she says, probably sparked an interest for a lot of people to get outside – and she’s keen to keep that vim fizzing into the future.

The outdoors is obviously… massive, and that means that there’s space for everyone to enjoy the benefits. Ashraf speaks enthusiastically about The Wanderlust Women, a group started by niqab-wearing Amira Patel intent on taking other Muslim women on expeditions all over the world.

“We’re always told as Muslim women that we can’t do this and we can’t do that,” she says. “But, actually, we can.” 

With any kind of progress, there’s always a backlash and it’ll come as no surprise to anyone to learn that groups like Muslim Hikers have received waves of racist abuse for simply walking through the countryside.

Another issue for Muslim women in particular is the lack of accessible activewear out there. Mota explains: “One of the main difficulties I faced with hiking was the lack of correct outdoor gear. For the first few years, I borrowed clothes from my brother as [most] fitness gear for women is very figure-hugging.”

Overall, my hiking experience was incredibly positive. I didn’t even need to come wearing specific boots; Merrell brought hiking boots for us all to wear for the day, which saved me from having to commit to an activity I wasn’t sure I’d enjoy. Post-outing, I’m now considering making hiking something I do regularly. After all, I deserve to feel nourished by nature just as much as the next person.

Husnaa, Tayyiba and Isma share their top tips for anyone thinking about heading into the great outdoors this season:

Layer your clothing: wear a good base layer and bring a fleece and a light rain jacket that you can use if needed.

Pack the essentials – waterproofs and good footwear are a must. If the weather is wet, Gore-Tex hiking shoes, such as the Moab Speed, are best as they’re grippy, waterproof and breathable.

Don’t buy expensive kit straightaway, until you know you want to do an activity regularly.

Know that you don’t have to be a pro or have a high level of fitness to start hiking. Most popular hiking routes around the UK are well signposted and have paths that cater to different levels of fitness. Don’t feel afraid to hike if you’re not the fittest person. It gets easier each time.

Pack a range of snacks, as often there aren’t any shops close by. Hiking is tiring, so it’s important you have enough snacks to refuel your body.

Bring plenty of water so you can stay hydrated.

Find local groups through social media that are well publicised or through people you know to feel safe.

Images: courtesy of Gintare Sukyte