Men should heed female hillwalkers’ safety concerns, says

List of ‘horror stories’ highlights need to respect women’s personal space and avoid patronising questions

Male mountaineers should be more mindful of women’s concerns about their personal safety in remote areas and avoid patronising them by questioning their map-reading abilities, a climbing expert has said.

The advice comes in response to female hillwalkers and mountaineers saying sceptical attitudes towards their skills and unwanted attention are discouraging women from taking up the sport.