People of Color Have Often Been Left Out of Adventure Travel — Here Are 4 Organizations Trying to Change That
Whether you're interested in snowsports or surfing, there are welcoming communities for BIPOC travelers who want to adventure together.
Courtesy of Native Like Water
Marc Chavez of Native Like WaterFor generations, people of color have been underrepresented in outdoor travel. But there are groups working to change that, by creating welcoming spaces for BIPOC travelers who want to get outside.
T+L spoke to four leaders of BIPOC organizations who are building more inclusive outdoor communities — whether it's in the realm of surfing, hiking, winter sports, or rock climbing — about how they got started, what types of trips they offer, and what's next for them.
Snow Sports: Annette Diggs, Edge Outdoors
Adam J. Sanders/Courtesy of EDGE Outdoors
Annette Diggs of Edge OutdoorsAccording to the National Ski Areas Association, nine out of 10 people on ski slopes are white and 63 percent are male. Annette Diggs, founder of Edge Outdoors, hopes to change that. “Our vision is to see the normalization of women of color competing, working, and leading in mountain spaces,” she says. Her nonprofit, which serves Black, Indigenous, and other women of color, including trans women, as well as nonbinary people, launched in 2019 at Stevens Pass, in Washington, with Vail Resorts later joining as a partner.
Edge Outdoors has since expanded to California, Nevada, Oregon, and Utah, offering ski and snowboard lessons, outdoor events, scholarships, and instructor training for newbies and advanced adventurers alike. “There’s a community waiting to meet and welcome you, wherever you are in your journey,” Diggs says.
Climbing: Don Nguyen, Climbers of Color
Anthony Ngu/Courtesy of Climbers of Color; Nic Rainsey/Courtesy of Climbers of Color
Don Nguyen of Climbers of ColorDuring his first year as a mountain guide in Washington, Don Nguyen was struck by the lack of diversity in climbing. “I noticed that the culture in the guide service was very homogenous, not only where I was working but across the region,” he says. Nguyen, the son of Vietnamese immigrants, cofounded Climbers of Color to provide training workshops, scholarships, mentorship, and diversity, equity, and inclusion programs.
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Since 2018 COC has worked with more than 300 mentors, teachers, and guides. It also runs weekly BIPOC climb nights across western Washington. Next up for Nguyen: a partnership with Outward Bound and programming exclusively for women.
Watersports: Marc Chavez, Native Like Water
John Suhar/Courtesy of Native Like Water
Native Like Water members in the oceanThough Native Americans have lived along the Pacific coast for thousands of years, forced displacement has often severed their connection to the water. Marc Chavez, who is of Nahua, Michoacán, and New Mexican–Spanish descent, seeks to restore that bond. He founded Native Like Water to help both Natives and non-Natives better understand Indigenous history, culture, and practices, in and out of the water.
The group’s Native-led programming includes surf outings in California, traditional canoeing in Hawaii, and retreats in Jamaica and Panama. “From the moment you pull up at the beach, you start to see things through an Indigenous lens,” Chavez says. “I’m just glad that we can be a source for that.”
Hiking: José González, Latino Outdoors
Veronica Miranda/Courtesy of Latinos Outdoors
José González of Latino Outdoors“Latinos shouldn’t have to leave their culture at the trailhead,” says José González, creator of Latino Outdoors. What started as an adventure blog 10 years ago in California is now a thriving nationwide community. In 2022, more than 1,700 people went on 121 outings across 19 states and the District of Columbia.
On these trips, participants were encouraged to bring all aspects of their identity — including the foods they snack on, the languages they speak, the music they love, and, for some, their immigrant stories — out into wilderness spaces that haven’t always embraced them. While the group is aimed at those of Latin heritage, all are welcome. “We joke,” González says, “that there’s no ‘Latino card’ you have to present.”
A version of this story first appeared in the July 2023 issue of Travel + Leisure under the headline "Follow the Leader."
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