Elise Wortley Explained

Elise Wortley (born 1989 or 1990) is a British explorer who uses equipment and clothing from the early 1900s for her journeys.^{[2] [3]}

Wortley grew up in Colchester, Essex^[4] before moving to London in 2017.

Inspired by early 20th century French explorer and author Alexandra David-Néel,^[5] Wortley has re-created several of David-Néel's journeys, including Kangchenjunga in the Himalayas, Lhasa in Tibet, the Scottish Highlands, the Alborz mountains in Iran, and the Ben Nevis mountain in Scotland.^{[1] [6] [7]}

Wortley will only use her handmade wooden backpack, a yak wool coat, Himalayan hobnail boots, cotton dress, and a linen tent. All things that her ancestors would have worn and used when they explored.^[8] Wortley planned her expedition, 108-mile hike from Lachen, in Sikkim, India, to Kanchenjunga base camp. The journey mimicked the last leg of David-Néel’s journey.

Notes and References

1. Web site: Adventurer Elise Wortley Recreates the Journeys of Famous Female Explorers . www.smithsonianmag.com . Claire . Turrell . 8 March 2023 . 13 March 2023 . en.
2. Web site: Following in the footsteps of female explorers . www.bbc.co.uk . Meghan . Owen . 9 October 2021 . 13 March 2023.
3. Web site: Why this woman recreates the journeys of history's greatest female explorers . www.cnn.com . Lilit . Marcus . 7 July 2022 . 13 March 2023 . en.
4. Web site: Williams . Jessie . In the steps of history's forgotten female explorers . www.bbc.com . 24 March 2023 . en.
5. Web site: Returning to the Valley of the Assassins in the Footsteps of Explorer Freya Stark . www.atlasobscura.com . Sarah . Durn . 13 March 2023 . en . 14 March 2022.
6. Web site: Reviving History’s Forgotten Female Adventurers . www.zerototravel.com . 13 March 2023 . 25 October 2022 . Jason . Moore.
7. Web site: Marcus . Lilit . 2022-07-08 . Why this woman recreates the journeys of history's greatest female explorers . 2023-03-27 . CNN . en.
8. Web site: Magazine . Smithsonian . Turrell . Claire . Adventurer Elise Wortley Recreates the Journeys of Famous Female Explorers . 2023-03-27 . Smithsonian Magazine . en.