Women over 70?

by Sylvia
(Cambridgeshire)

How about women over 70 - is there a place for us as independent travellers?

Answer:

Sylvia, there's no such thing as too old for independent travel! Some years ago, I woke up in a dorm room in Durban to find a man getting ready and slipping on his backpack - he must have been well over 80, and going strong.

Often, in Africa or Asia or Latin America, I ran into older women on their own, or in pairs. On they trudged, cutting a swathe through the backpacker trail with a gusto that beat that of women less than half their age. They stayed in hostels like the rest of us, clambered onto pickup trucks - albeit a bit more slowly, doing everything we did.

Remember Dervla Murphy? As of this writing she's still going strong. She has traveled solo well into her 80s - and written bestsellers after each trip.

The thing about getting older is that we have to be more careful. If you're less active, climbing Kilimanjaro might not be the best trip for you. If you have health problems, you might want to stick to cities with good medical facilities. But these days, women in their 70s can be more fit than women half their age - age on the road is often relative, more a state of mind than a state of body.

If I'm still around, I have every intention of traveling into my 60s, my 70s, my 80s, and onward from there. I really believe that the only thing ever holding you back is yourself.

Comments for
Women over 70?

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70 is just a number
by: Gwen McCauley

I'm 62 and continue to love to travel on my own and see myself doing it until I can't any more. And I have a number of friends who are keen solo travelers well into what most folks consider to be their 'dotage'!

For certain my needs and interests have changed over the years. I had the luxury of being a corporate traveler for many, many years and acquired a taste for 'the good life'. Even though I seldom go 5*, I do search out places that offer comforts, quiet, ready access to the kinds of activities I enjoy, and access to others so that I can pick and choose who I interact with.

I also find that I've developed a strong bias for having trips that involve part of the time on my own and part of it involved with others, especially women. Friends and clients of mine seem to have that inclination as well. My good buddy Cathy, for example, who turns 70 this year loves to attend a retreat for a week and then have a week to herself.

I think that what's most important in all areas of our lives as we age is that we don't simply do things the way our friends, family and culture define. That we become very proactive about checking in with ourselves, take the time to define what our needs are, become aware of what fears are limiting us and address all of that in the choices we make about travel.

I'm looking forward to a whole raft of blogs starting to be written by us old gals who are re-defining what life is like after 70 and how we are creating ways of living our lives that are re-writing expectations.

I talk about her all the time, but my inspiration is a woman I interviewed for my monthly 'life'style column last year. She's 94 and still teaching TaiChi. That's how I want to be when I grow up!!!!
Bumming around Europe at 70+
by: Sil

A friend and I walked el camino de Santiago in Spain in 2002. She was 74 at the time. She walked it again in 2007 at the age of 80.
Another friend will be trekking the Annapurna circuit in October at age 77.

I am not 70 yet but hope that I will still be bumming around Europe with my backpack and staying in Youth Hostels when I am 80!
Darn right we can!
by: Evelyn Hannon

Thank you for the opportunity to comment. As the 70 year old editor of Journeywoman.com I am in the enviable position of hearing from travelling women all over the world. Their ages range from 18-80. All are passionate about travel and I feel most don't consider age a factor in following that passion.

What I do think happens to a 70 year old woman is that she travels differently than she did at 25. And for every woman that difference is unique.

Now, they may share a hotel room with a pal but go off and do their own thing during the day. This ensures that they have a security blanket should one of them need help in a foreign destination.

I at 70 find that I no longer need to rush about every day seeing EVERYTHING. I have absolutely no problem with sitting in a cafe in Paris reading for a couple of hours or people watching. In other words, I saw the Eiffel Tower 40 years ago. Now I'm happy exploring little neighbourhoods and chatting with the locals.

This is a very juicy topic. I could go on and on but I must get back to work! I look forward to reading other people's comments.
Yes!
by: Monica

My aunt is over 70 and is my constant travel inspiration. Her lifelong travels filled my head with places I wanted to visit when I got old enough and she's still inspiring me today! She traveled to Spain with me and my two 20-something cousins last year and she regularly travels in the States at least two or three times a year. I hope I'm as active a traveler as she is when I get to be over 70.
And you can climb Kili too...
by: Birgit

That's a great topic and some great comments to boot. Thanks to everyone who posted!

Two years ago I spent six weeks backpacking through Tanzania together with my mother, who at the time was 64. I would also describe her as less active (guess Leyla and I may have different definitions for that), but that didn't stop her from climbing Kilimanjaro. And loving every minute of it!

When I was researching our trip I also discovered that people in their 70s and 80s regularly make the summit. Not only that, they also have better success rates than younger people.

It is a pervasive idea of our society that younger equals better, but nothing could be further from the truth. It is a shame that in the process of growing up most people are pretty much brainwashed into believing that the older you get the less useful you are, and the less able, and the less you should be doing and living.

I live to travel and I have been saying all my life that I have no intentions of slowing down until I reach my eighties. At 42 I am only a spring chicken, but from all I have seen so far, life only gets better and better with age. I fully expect this trend to continue and see absolutely no reason why it shouldn't. I very much look forward to the next 42 years of travel and adventure!

PS.: If you are in any way insecure because of your age, get John Robbins' Healthy at 100 for an eye opening read. And then go and do whatever it is you want to do. Never, ever let anyone make you feel like you're "too old" for anything.
Wise Women Travelling
by: Rensina

I take women in small groups on tours each year to Mongolia...though the women are not "alone' they still have to be very independant. They put up their own tents and we communally cook. The environment and climatic conditions are rough. Last year Our eldest traveller was 74....a seasoned traveller. I had an enquiry from an 82 year old this year. If you think you can....go do it! My motto is "If you love travelling....keep doing it" What is the worse thing that can happen? I LOVE the stimulation of travelling and the activity of overland travelling. Keeps the body moving and the mind active...I LOVE seeing older Wise Women travelling.....GO Girls!!
Traveling over 70
by: judith

ANYONE OUT THERE WHO WOULD LIKE TO BACK PACK AROUND SUNNY EUROPE OR SOUTH EAST ASIA OR SOUTH AMERICA OR ANYWHERE INTERESTING THAT HAS SOME SUN. I AM 71 AND STILL REARING TO GO.

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