She Didnt See Other Black Hikers. She Decided to Change That.

The women made their way up the narrow stone steps in a winding line, the rolling green fields of the English countryside stretching out across the valley below.The steep climb, which had begun in the early morning, brought them high above an elevated rail line, its imposing Victorian arches rising in the distance.But the 15 women had their sights set on the mist-covered peak above, one of three summits they would tackle that summer day as part of a hiking challenge in the Yorkshire Dales, a national park in northern England.Near the back of the line, Rhiane Fatinikun called out encouragement as the group trudged upward.

She was the reason these women had come together to take on this demanding trek.In 2019, motivated by the racial disparity she saw among British hikers, Ms.Fatinikun founded Black Girls Hike.

Her goal was to help open up the outdoors to people who have often seemed invisible in Britain’s countryside, and to shatter the perception that outdoor pursuits in the country’s natural spaces are for the white middle and upper class.“Sometimes it’s actually quite sad, because you realize how people are going through life and just not being seen, not being able to be themselves,” Ms.Fatinikun, 37, said of the experience of some Black women who felt excluded from these natural spaces.

“But I am glad that they feel like they can be whoever they want to be here.”We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe....