International Women's Day GATHERING 2026

girlsonhills
7 hours ago
3 min read

We're delighted to introduce our International Women's Day Gathering 2026! We've got a brilliant weekend of events and activities lined up - and a super cosy venue too.

The gathering takes place on weekend 8th & 9th of March and is a weekend of celebration and fun with likeminded women for International Women's Day. Join us as we mark the transition from winter into spring, with empowering mountain events and inpsiring evening talks - accommodation included (optional). For the full line-up and for booking visit: www.eventbrite.com/cc/iwd-gathering-2026-4797826

The gathering weekend will be hosted at Roam West, which is situated half way between Glencoe and Fort William. Rooms are lodge-style accommodation (part way between a hostel and a hotel), with self-catering kitchem drying room. Winter kir hire (boots, axes and crampons) are available to hire on site and there is a cosy bar restaurant with open fire. You can book IWD Gathering events with or without accommodation and there are even some FREE events, open to all without booking.

Overnight guests will check-in on the Friday night and be greeted at the bar by our Girls on Hills team. We'll have our Girls on Hills ale on tap, thanks to River Leven Ales! Whatever the weather, we'll be heading out for a short Petzl night run, to test out some Petzl headtorches - set to the thundering backdrop of the 8-drop waterfalls of Inchree! This run is optional, free and open to all.

On Saturday morning, attendees will meet their guides for winter skills, guided winter hillwalking (Glencoe in Winter) or our Run & Cake event, sponspored by Kahtoola (demo microspikes and Mountain King poles available to try). By seing situated part-way between Glencoe and Fort William, our Winter Mountain Leaders will have the pick of the hills (and winter conditions) using either Nevis Range or Glencoe Mountain for the Saturday of our Winter Skills 101 course (with uplift included in your ticket to maximise learning time above the snowline!) Our hillwalkers will explore the stunning landscape of nearby Glencoe, shaped by fire and ice over hundreds of millions of years (www.nts.org.uk/visit/places/glencoe).

Meanwhile the runners of the group will be treated to a favourite local trail in Fort William, running over a 'half Ben' via the so-called 'halfway lochan' before descending to the UK's only alpine-style hut (the Charles Inglis Clark Memorial Hut or CIC Hut), nestled under the dramatic North Face of Ben Nevis. We hope the crags and ridges of the North Face will be dressed-up in their best winter attire - adding to the spectacle of this incredible location. Runners will be guided by Ben Nevis Mountain Walks guidebook author and Girls on Hills cofounder Keri Wallace, alongside ultrarunner (of Tea & Trails fame), Edwina Sutton. This run finishes at the lovely Larder cafe and giftshop (Highland Soap Company), which sells great coffee and incredible cakes (not to mention handmade soap of course!) - all with a view to Ben Nevis.

Once back at Roam West, all intrepid attendees will be treated to tea and cake (and of course hot showers!) before getting together for a group meal in the on-site bar/restaurant (2 courses included in residential tickets). After eating, get comfortable because it's time for some inspirational tales in the bar from speakers Edwina Sutton and Keri Wallace (free and open to non-ticket holders).

On Sunday morning, grab your warm kit from the drying room because it's time for day two of our Winter Skills 101 and Glencoe in Winter courses. If you're free, why not sign-up for our chilly Wild Dipping & Yoga morning and dip your toes in Loch Linnhe, just a stone's throw from our door at Roam West (our Open Water Swim Coach Hannah will be there to show you the ropes and keep you safe!)