How good are Mums? We reckon there’s nothing better than sharing an adventure with your Mumma. Explorer Pat didn’t have to dig deep to find some of the most badass and brave matriachs out there.

There used to be a stereotype that Mums were the ones sitting back and patching you up after your stack or dropping you at the trailhead – that just doesn’t gel with us. We spoke to a handful of adventure frothers whose Mum’s are more likely to be at the trailhead with them or waiting to be patched up themselves.

Against All Odds – Jessie McRae

The year I turned 20, my Mum celebrated 60 laps around the sun. We thought we should celebrate and, since we’d both prefer to blow out a campfire than candles, we disappeared into the wilderness. Far North Queensland, start of summer, croc territory kind of wilderness. 

When we arrived at the jetty with our hiking packs bulging, the charter boat captain gave us a look that said it all. When he dropped us on Hinchinbrook Island, and Mum promptly headed up the first big hill greeting us on the shore, I didn’t look back to see his jaw drop. You could hear it. 

On this particular trip, there was one switchback scramble of at least 50 metres which I thought would just be too much. It was a precarious route, which could easily have ended in Mum slipping off the edge into the abyss of rocks and trees below. There was no way she was going to make it safely to the top. But she did. She always does. 

I feel a sense of awe every time I hike with Mum, and that’s why I love it so much. It doesn’t matter how the odds are stacked. There’s no hill too tall, no trail too long, no pack too big to stop her getting out there and giving it a go. Even if that means risking near death.

 

From Strasbourg With Love – Mylene Finck

Since I can remember, I’ve always loved being on the move and discovering new places. And as they say, the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. So it’s no surprise that my biggest role model has always been my Mum.

From sharing space in her backpack with cheese and baguette (I’m French) while hiking on weekends to some epic falls on my bum during ski lessons, she’s always ready for the next adventure. 

Mum always taught me that travel around the world is one of the most amazing things that we can accomplish. Even if I am a thousand miles away from her, she will always have a special place in my backpack.

 

I Got It From My Mamma – Pat Corden

When I was younger, I don’t think I realised what a badass my Mum was. I think she didn’t want me to know because she’d lose all credibility telling me off when I did dumb things.

However, as I grew up, I started to get an inkling that she’d been up to more mischief than she let on. I found out she shredded motorbikes around NZ in her 20s, skydived back when the safety briefing only consisted of ‘pull this cord and pray’, and backpacked her way across Europe before Europe was ‘a thing’.

It certainly explains my often-questionable decision-making skills. They say that boys take until at least 30 to fully mature but sadly, I think I just inherited my inability from Mum. I ain’t going to complain though, and I’d say it’s a big part of what made me who I am today.

She’s now pushing 50 and you’re more likely to find her hiking through Georgia, exploring the mountains of Japan or cruising through the outback in Oz than in some cushy 5-star hotel.

In fact, I think she might be getting wilder with every passing year. The most recent campaign – trying to convince Mum to pick up the moto again for a lap around this sunburnt land. Dad is not impressed.

 

My Adventure Hero – Bee Stephens

For as long as I can remember my family’s been going on adventures. For me, these are the memories that seem to stretch the longest and matter most. 

It was on holidays in the wild where my parents shared their love for the outdoors with us, allowing my brother and I the opportunity to form a deep connection with the natural world. 

Many of these awesomely-whacky times were led by my Mum, my adventure hero. Mum would announce our next epic, a month or so of planning would ensue, then the Deb would emerge from the pantry and before we knew it, we’d be back on the trail making our way across some vast headland or towards a looming peak. 

Whilst Mum may resemble a turtle-like-human-thing with a hiking pack on, she is one hell of a woman. Strong, patient, and always good for a laugh. Together we’ve climbed Himalayan mountains, swam in pristine waterholes, camped in stinking hot gorges, peddled our bikes hundreds of kilometres, ran for miles and spent countless nights under the stars. 

I feel incredibly lucky to have a Mum like mine, my hero and ultimate adventure buddy!

 

 

Feature photo by Eli Bramborova