Ten strangers sat politely and stiffly in a circle eating their brownbag lunches. The chatter was banal: name, where we each were from, what we did. It was hard to listen to the details from each person. We were concentrating so hard on memorizing each name.

For the next five days, five males and three females, aged 16 to 43, would be participants in the 29th Annual Mountain Leadership School, sponsored by the Appalachian Mountain Club. The two of us, Ronna Cohen and Laurie Geary would be their MLS instructors. After the first day of lectures, workshops, and trip planning, the group would be spending the next four days backpacking through the rugged Presidential Range of the White Mountains in northern New Hampshire.

Although it was June, the group had to be prepared for snow, rain, heat, blackflies, winds, and high water stream crossings. The Presidentials are in the Guiness Book of World Records for the highest winds ever recorded in the world. Our route would take us across that very spot if the weather was favorable.

We were to be the first women instructor team in MLS history. MLS instructor teams are typically male-female. This arrangement models men and women working together. Also, it gives each participant a same-sex road model in their group. We were very conscious of our genders as were the MLS staff and director. The spoken concern had to do with the role model our team presented; the unspoken concern had to do with our physical limitations. would we be strong enough to handle a difficult situation?

In the past, only male instructors had been paired with female instructors without questions, because highly qualified outdoor women are rare as are adventurous women role models. Most women pursue outdoor activities in conjunction with husbands or boyfriends who typically take charge of the whole experience. Women are thus deprived of valuable lessons to test their own capabilities or limitations. When "taken care of" in the outdoors women never learn the empowerment that stems from taking care of oneself and from taking risks.

Both men and women need strong women role models to demonstrate skills and strengths and other necessary capabilities in the outdoors. We were hopeful that our woman instructor team would provide a good model and balanced skills.

The focus of MLS is to offer mountain leadership training through lecture, actual experience, role plays and debriefings.

The participants, all of whom have some hiking and backpacking experience, are soon to be in positions of leadership within their camp, youth organization, school group, or club. Most are sponsored and for many, it is part of their job orientation. Some attend for their own personal growth. Each participant will have the opportunity to wear the mantle of leader and be aided by a co-leader. During their tenure as leader, they will face at least one role play which depicts some crisis or problem that could easily occur on a trip as well as typical first aid problems.

Each person is asked to fully participate in the role plays. From experience, we know that the first few situations we instructors create, the actors will be awkward and self-conscious. We also know that by the end of the day, every one would deserve Academy Awards for their performances.

Day One:

Everyone is sitting in a circle, eating lunch. The conversation flounders. Group identification is not forming. Laurie exhibits her expertise as a group leader: "What are you afraid of during the coming few days?" she asks. The group, in unison, shifts uncomfortably. Laurie leads off: "I'm afraid of the weight of my pack. I'm also concerned about the responsibility of being an instructor." Her modeling broke the ice and the fears and concerns spewed forth.

The leaders confer

By the end of the first day, we knew all the first names but little else. We would often pull the other away from an activity or conversation to share our observations. For example, we needed to share out impressions in order to set up the teams of leader and co-leader. Every one needs a turn at both. The pairings are tricky; a bad pairing can ruin the learning opportunity. We wanted each person to have the most powerful and beneficial experience we could offer.

The two of us have different strengths. Ronna's outdoor resume is extensive. She has hiked, climbed, and mountaineered throughout North America. She has designed, instructed, and done training for many organizations including Outward Bound. Ronna acknowledges that, "I am at my most comfortable in the woods. There I never hesitate to make a decision, never doubt my capabilities, never wonder if I am doing the right thing. With ten pounds or, as on this trip, 52 pounds, I float up the trails." This would be her eleventh year as an instructor at Mountain Leadership School.

Laurie has always been an avid outdoor's lover. Her first contact with MLS was as a student. This was her second year as an instructor. Her training and experience are in psychological education. She has designed and taught courses in stress management, self- esteem, assertiveness training, and effective communication skills. She has worked extensively with groups. She recently created a program for women, "Outdoor Adventures," to help women become more empowered via the outdoors.

Because of the difficult terrain and physical demands, students become fascinated with and tend to value the "hard skills." Laurie was concerned that once we hit the trail, the participants would look to Ronna as the leader and Laurie as the assistant, downplaying Laurie's area of expertise in "soft skills." An effectively functioning group must have a balance of both skills.

During the first day, no one knew of the discrepancies in our experiences. We felt it was critical that we present a unified front, that we be on equal footing in the eyes of the students. Laurie's expertise in the "soft skills" area had to be perceived as just as important as Ronna's expertise in "hard skills."

Day Two:

Two and a half hours up the Madison Gulf Trail. Rain on and off. Scott, six foot four and trim, starts to lag behind. Dave, self-assured and over-confident, as leader, is first in line. Andrea, perky, bouncy, always singing as we hike, is the first to notice Scott's lack of energy. Andrea: "Hey, Dave, something's wrong with Scott. We'd better stop." Everyone stops. People mill around.

Scott says, "This isn't what I expected. I have a bad ankle from ice hockey. It's really hurting. I don't think I should go on. I'll go back. I really don't want to be out here anymore. This isn't fun and I'm holding everyone up."

Dave tries to sell Scott on the idea of continuing with the group. It isn't working and Andrea agrees that Scott should go back to the lodge. "No one can make us go on this trip. If Scott doesn't want to be here, he doesn't have to," she says.

Dave gets flustered. He becomes more persuasive but also more argumentative with Scott. He is so involved with Scott and Andrea, he is unaware of the restlessness in the rest of the group. Ruth with a puckish sense of humor, takes on the role of added trouble. "Why should we stand around and wait for them? We're almost at the campsite. Let's go."

Scott finally agrees to continue on the trip. Dave lets out a huge sigh of relief as he glances at us to seek our approval in his efforts to win over Scott. He helps Scott into his pack, the shoulders his own. He turns to start back up the hill, looks up, and no one is there. The group has disappeared. Dave appears close to tears. The burden of leadership can weigh heavily.

Laurie gives Ronna the high sign: time to debrief. Ruth and her followers are only around a bend in the trail, hidden from view. We gather everyone together. Packs off, snacks and water bottles appear. Laurie leads the group debriefing. Everyone participates. Dave admits to not feeling in control and swears in other situations he has done better. A debate ensues as to whether Scott could have returned alone. The group finally concurs that solo hiking can be dangerous, particularly for someone not feeling well. As a group, we must stick together.

Over the next four days, we encounter extremely rough terrain, high winds, rainfall so hard that it hurts our faces, cold weather requiring mittens and hats, treacherous river crossings, and many, many role plays: sprained ankles broken bones, lost hikers, mutinous co-leaders, hypothermia, and heat exhaustion. The group also had to select and establish campsites, plan our routes, cook meals, and keep themselves in one piece; keep clothes dry, equipment dry, and stay well-fed with plenty of water.

We continued our pattern of constantly communicating with each other. We would share our observations of each participant as well as the group dynamics.

During the final night we introduced the topic of our role as leaders. The group unanimously agreed that we, as group leaders, presented tremendous models as a strong team that utilized each other's strengths effectively. However, they felt we had an unfair advantage having known each other for a long time.

We shocked them with the truth: this was our first trip together; we had never met before. We shared our techniques of always communicating, never being afraid to express our opinions and always listening to and supporting the other.

We tried to get the group to focus on the issue of a woman instructor's team. They laughed and didn't feel it was a concern for the group in any way. That surprised us. The issue, according to them, isn't women leaders, rather leaders who can balance "hard" and "soft" skills, can utilize and build upon each other's strengths, show support, and communicate with each other and with the group. We had demonstrated synergism as a team.

The last night we sat around the stoves until midnight. The group had become cohesive; the whole much stronger and more efficient than the individuals separately. The group had learned that whether you are a leader or a group member, one needs to value what each person has to offer and to use all the resources in the group. They had experience true synergism in action; theory had become reality.

The two of us will be back as a team with one less concern. What counts is that we are competent leaders with a wonderful blend of skills that make the sum of our partnership much greater that the parts. Our teamwork makes our gender a non-issue.

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