Lise Wortley

Elise Wortley is an adventurer on a mission to redefine what it means to be an explorer. Her on-going project, Woman with Altitude, has received widespread media attention, and her writing has featured in outlets such as The Guardian and The Telegraph.

Elise believes that the outdoor industry needs new representation right now, to show that all women have a place in the outdoors, and that adventure is not just about conquering or winning but about connecting to the natural world.

Throughout her twenties, Elise suffered from severe anxiety, and endlessly searched for ways to relieve her mental health issues. Eventually she began to find comfort in the outdoors, and inspiration in books about the ground-breaking stories and achievements of overlooked women adventurers. Now, Elise brings to life these women’s incredible stories by literally walking in their footsteps, re-creating their expeditions using only what was available to them at the time.

Of course, these journeys are far from straightforward. Elise has discovered that hiking the valleys of Iran in hobnail boots, climbing a Himalayan mountain in a corset and sleeping on a rainy mountainside dressed in tweed is a whole new level of complexity - especially without any modern expedition gear, hiking boots, waterproof clothing, or indeed, modern day underwear…

Most recently, Elise starred in Channel 4's new survival series ALONE, becoming runner up in the ultimate test of endurance and ingenuity, in one of the most beautiful but challenging landscapes on earth. She is currently planning her next adventure (to climb Mont Blanc in 1800s clothing, which yes, includes bloomers) and is attempting to sit still long enough to write her first book.