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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.”
In the five years since she started Black Girls Hike, it has blossomed into a nationwide organization that has welcomed hundreds of Black women eager to explore nature, with weekend getaways and shorter hiking trips.
Most people in Britain from minority racial and ethnic groups disproportionately live in cities and farther away from green spaces, a number of studies in Britain have found.
And Britain’s countryside has long been viewed by some as synonymous with whiteness, said Corinne Fowler, a professor of colonialism and heritage at the University of Leicester, and can feel exclusionary to people from other backgrounds.
Ms. Fowler said that the history of people of color in the British countryside went back centuries but that it was often overlooked because of the stories people chose to tell.
“People are very quick to dismiss the suggestion that there is racism in the countryside,” she said, but added that her research as part of the Rural Racism Project at the university showed otherwise. “It matters for everyone that the countryside is more inclusive.”
Ms. Fatinikun is from the Manchester area of northern England, near many of the country’s national parks. But while she was always an active person, she said she did not always think of herself as “outdoorsy.”
That changed in 2019, when she was taking a train through the Peak District National Park in central England, and said it suddenly occurred to her that she wanted to take up hiking.
As Ms. Fatinikun began exploring the countryside, she was struck by the fact that she did not see anyone who looked like her. So she began organizing hikes for Black women on social media, first locally and then slowly adding more around the country.
“It just snowballed really quickly,” she said. Now, she has led dozens of hiking trips across Britain and around the world including in Ghana, Morocco and Norway.
Many new faces arrived during the coronavirus pandemic, when interest in hiking skyrocketed as people looked for ways to work on their mental health and connect with nature. Ms. Fatinikun soon left her office job working in local government in the Manchester area and dedicated her time fully to Black Girls Hike — and to exploring the outdoors herself.
She admits she had a lot to figure out at the start, but she educated herself along the way — including learning how to understand topographical maps and finding the right gear for dealing with unpredictable weather.
The response to the group from Britain’s broader hiking community has been largely positive, but she has faced racist abuse, much of it on social media, particularly after appearing on “Countryfile,” a BBC program focused on rural life.
“At the beginning, you would take it really personally,” she said of the vitriol. “I just do not even engage with that now, like these people cannot be getting my energy. We need to focus on the people that do support us.”
Unlike some adventurers, Ms. Fatinikun said, her love for the outdoors is not driven by the desire to conquer it, but by the desire to appreciate its restorative power.
And with Black Girls Hike, those natural benefits have been combined with human connections, too. Ms. Fatinikun said the intergenerational friendships and mutual support she has found through the hiking group are among the greatest rewards for her.
Beyond this personal satisfaction, Ms. Fatinikun has also gained the status of a major British outdoor influencer since she first laced up her hiking boots.
This year, she was given a royal honor — Member of the Order of the British Empire, or M.B.E. — awarded for outstanding achievement or service to the community. This summer, she published a book, “Finding Your Feet,” a guide to hiking and adventuring.
On the evening before the Yorkshire Dales hike, the 14 women taking part arrived from all over England at a bunkhouse outside the town of Ingleton, England, not far from the base of the first peak.
They ranged in age from their 20s to their 60s. Some had met before on similar group hikes, while others, including Natalie Hurst-Knight, were doing their first trip.
“All my friends are Black women, and they don’t all like hiking,” said Ms. Hurst-Knight, 33, who is from southwest London. “But this is great — it feels like you are in a welcoming space. And as someone from the city, to know that this is open to people with less experience, it makes it less intimidating.”
Pauline Pennant, 55, who has done four hiking trips with the group, got involved after the end of the coronavirus lockdown, when she was eager to get outside.
“We are all at different stages in life,” she said. “You all come from these different places, and yet you get to have this experience together.”
Ann Illston, 63, who sat nearby, nodded in agreement.
“It’s the people that keep me coming back,” she added. “In other walking groups, I am often the only Black person. But this group is not just about race. It’s about having that cultural link.”
Before setting out the next morning, the women gathered in the bunkhouse living room to hear from two local guides about what to expect, including weather conditions and safety tips.
“There is no pressure — this is about finding your personal best,” Ms. Fatinikun told the women, before ushering them out the door and to the trail.
On their way, she snapped a few photographs for social media, explaining that sharing the images was important because it was a way for other outdoor enthusiasts to see faces like theirs represented.
The images also highlighted some of the hiking gear that sponsors had sent her as part of her partnerships with several outdoor brands. Black Girls Hike also receives sponsorship and works with brands, companies and organizations.
During the sometimes grueling uphill climb in the Yorkshire Dales, Ms. Fatinikun’s tone was like that of an encouraging older sister, her enthusiasm permeating the group.
“I love it, and they love it,” she said reflecting on the hike on the return down from the first peak. “And it’s really good for them to come out of their comfort zones. Just last week, one girl told me, ‘I feel like I can do anything now.’”
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