Women engaging in outdoor activities tend to be more supportive of each other and more willing to express their feelings and apprehensions about adventurous settings than are men. It is important for women to have strong female leaders as role models. Instructors should be aware that women's learning styles and learning curves differ from men's.…

The practice of responding to women's fears by "fixing" the situation denies them their feelings and eclipses their knowledge of self. Intuition is a valid way of knowing, and outdoor leaders need to honor it in themselves and others, and listen to and encourage women who voice their feelings. (TD)

Drawing from research on fear of failure and anecdotes from personal experience with the first women's expedition to ski to the South Pole, this discussion centers on how fear of failure affects women. Fear of failure leads to procrastination and performance well below one's ability. Women generally express more fear of failure than do men, partly…