This is my trip report for Freezing Woman 6, which took place November 22nd to 24th, 2024 in Algonquin Park, Ontario. There were so many incredible things I am sorry that I’m inevitably going to miss some important things. If I do, please reach out to me and I can update my report to include them. Thank you!

If you enjoyed yourself at Freezing Woman, please consider leaving a tip. Thank you! 💜

A heartfelt thank you to the Algonquin Park staff, Freezing Woman volunteers, speakers, and workshop hosts. Without them, Freezing Woman could not happen. And thank you to the many participants who made this the best Freezing Woman yet!

Here is my report…

Choose Your Own Adventure at Freezing Woman 6: A Celebration of Winter, Nature, and Community

Freezing Woman 6 was nothing short of magical. With 300+ women spread across more than 90 campsites, the event transformed Mew Lake Campground in Algonquin Park into a vibrant, welcoming community of winter adventurers. It was a testament to the power of connection, the joy of being outdoors, and the sheer beauty of embracing winter in all its unpredictable glory.

What is Freezing Woman?

Freezing Woman is an annual group winter camping event. (Read more about it)

As the legend goes, a group of women, the “original 6”, braved -25°C weather to winter camp in Algonquin park. They survived, thrived, and decided to return the next year. They opened it up to others, and the event has doubled in size each year since. And so Freezing Woman was born.

Freezing Woman is much more than a camping trip

At risk of using a cliché, it really is the people, but perhaps more specifically:

In spite of how much Freezing Woman has grown, it still maintains the welcoming, inclusive spirit. The camaraderie needs to be experienced. It enthusiastically welcomes women from all over, including those who aren’t always treated well in society
At Freezing Woman:

Veteran trippers get a chance to give back to the community, and receive well earned respect for building their skills and experience.
Newcomers get a chance to learn from the experts, hear their stories, and fast track their own learning.
It provides an invaluable opportunity to see a wide variety of gear. This includes various shelters such as hot tents, cold tents, hammocks, tarps, converted vehicles… you name it!
We are all peers and equals, respected, met with appreciation, and without judgement where we are.

Freezing Woman has a strong independent-yet-together dynamic. This means each person has their own gear, food, and chooses their own adventure from a long list of possible activities. This lets each person craft the ideal experience for them. Participants can dive into activities with groups of various sizes, or solo / enjoy quiet time at any point.

Adventure in Your Own Way

Whether you crave the tranquility of quiet solo moments in nature, meeting the challenge of a long strenuous hike, learning to hone your outdoors skills, or the high-energy fun of a spontaneous dance party under the stars, Freezing Woman has something for everyone.

As one of countless examples, you could choose to venture out on your own, or with a group, to the nearby and picturesque Provoking Falls.

Provoking Falls, a short walk from Mew Lake Campground

A number of people took out their camera and captured stunning photos of birds, scenery, and wildlife.

If you're someone who thrives on more active pursuits, there’s a choice of many different hikes. For example, those looking to push their physical limits, the challenging 10.4km Centennial Ridges trail will test and reward you with its stunning vistas.

The Track and Tower trail, at 7.5km, is a bit more approachable, and also provides incredible views of the park.

For those who like another kind of challenge, the Polar Bear Dip is a way to test your mettle. Roughly 30 to 40 brave souls took the plunge into icy waters, their courageous spirit an inspiration and awesome sight.

Not all adventures need to be physical. Some choose to unwind by connecting with others over a delicious meal, swapping stories and laughter with old friends or new faces around the campfire.

The Soo Crew, a group of wonderful ladies from Sault Ste. Marie, once again wowed everyone by organizing a pot luck on Friday night. The feast of hearty dishes kept spirits high despite the rainy, chilly weather.

And for those seeking comfort food and warmth around the campfire, the fish stew—a tradition at Freezing Woman—was the perfect way to nourish both body and soul, served alongside freshly baked bread and decadent desserts on Saturday evening.

Let Loose and Have Fun

Freezing Woman often has moments of spontaneity. For example, a group launched a karaoke dance party on Saturday night. Participants belted out their favourite 80s and 90s hits, laughing and dancing in an atmosphere of pure joy.

No matter your age or fitness level, Freezing Woman offers a space to be yourself, to learn, to explore, or to tap into that playful side that we all need from time to time.

Innovating to keep things fresh

Freezing Woman has constantly evolved, trying new things to see what enriches the experience for participants. Freezing Woman 6 continued to build for the long term with new ideas.

This year, participants had the chance to rent hot tents from Lure of the North Outfitters, and many took the opportunity to experience winter camping with a cozy, warm tent and wood stove for the first time.

For those unfamiliar with the logistics of winter camping, the "How to Winter Camp" webinar helped ease any worries, offering expert advice and giving newcomers the confidence to embrace the cold. Camper Christina, Laura from Lure of the North Outfitters, Christine Canoes, Vicky, and Sheila shared a wealth of knowledge. It is meant as a primer for beginners, who are interested in trying winter camping for the first time. Their knowledge was impressive, and it’s well worth watching the panel. Camper Christina has a series of excellent courses that I strongly encourage you to check out if you’re interested in learning more!

This year we introduced a group wood delivery service, having 5 face cords of local kiln dried hardwood trucked in, which made it convenient for everyone to access high quality firewood that would burn well. This service meant one less thing for participants to worry about. It seemed to work very well.

Sharing knowledge and wisdom

Normally, veteran winter campers generally wouldn’t mix with newcomers. Helping them meet and share knowledge has always been a key part of Freezing Woman. Mentorship played a big part this year, too, with veteran winter campers matched together with small groups of newcomers to share knowledge and help them build a sense of confidence and belonging. Whether it was tips on staying warm, cooking over a campfire, or setting up a shelter, these mentor-matchups created a sense of community that allowed everyone to feel supported, no matter their experience level. This complemented the free winter camping guides that are available which I recommend checking out whether you’re still learning, or an experienced winter camper. The winter camping cheat sheet is especially jam packed with useful tips.

New this year, we tried workshops hosted in the campground. ChristineCanoes, who is knowledgable and also a very positive force in the community, taught about preparing and dehydrating food in the backcountry. Leana, also very knowledgable and giving to the community, taught survival firestarting skills. And last, Jeff and Laura from Lure of the North Outfitters hosted a workshop on winter travel in the boreal forest. This session had cameos by Kielyn Marrone and Camper Christina too!

History in the making

And of course, important Freezing Woman traditions like the group picture on Saturday morning—a moment where nearly half of the participants come together for a snapshot of unity and joy—reminded everyone of the true spirit of Freezing Woman. The event is not just about the camping, or the activities. It’s about the people, the friendships, and the memories we create together.

Inspiring Adventure talks

Another new thing this year was the introduction of Adventure Talks, hosted at the Algonquin Park visitor Centre. The vision behind this was to mix inspiring talks on adventure with fascinating talks on conservation. The talks are also a great way way to warm up in the middle of the Freezing Woman weekend. For this inaugural year of talks, I wanted to try for my “dream team” of speakers. To my delight, it worked out and Kielyn Marrone (Lure of the North), Kevin Kemmish (Algonquin Wildlife Research Station), and Kim Freeman spoke.

Kim and Kevin were the opening acts to warm up the audience. Kim shared the planning and experience of her recent trip to the Namibian dessert. It was fascinating to learn about her experience, and she offered a wealth of practical experience and tips. Kevin shared about the impressive body of research the Algonquin Wildlife Research Station has been doing and their heritage spanning back to the 1950’s.

Kielyn Marrone took the stage and quickly had the full capacity crowd laughing, misting up, and inspired with a talk about winter adventuring, off-grid homesteading, entrepreneurship creating her business Lure of the North, and her experiences from series 7 of the television series Alone. Kielyn’s authenticity, resilience, and love of nature were obvious, and she was an inspiration to all.

Kielyn Marrone delivering the Keynote talk at Freezing Woman 6

Community and Connection

At the heart of Freezing Woman is the power of community. Whether you’re hiking, singing, cooking, or just enjoying the winter landscape, it’s the connections we make that truly define the experience.

In spite of the rapid growth, Freezing Woman has maintained an atmosphere of inclusivity that permeated the entire weekend.

Another new thing this year, we introduced support for a good cause. In honour of the significant positive participation by the Soo Crew, we raised funds for a cause of their choice. They chose Women in Crisis Algoma. Through a modest $5 registration fee for the “How to Winter Camp” webinar, we raised the funds. A group the size of Freezing Woman has tremendous impact from giving back. Giving on this scale can make a significant difference in the world. Freezing Woman is more than just a winter camping weekend—it’s an opportunity to come together as a community, to share our passion for the outdoors, and to support each other in meaningful ways.

Embrace Your Winter Adventure

Freezing Woman 6 was a celebration of winter’s beauty, the strength of community, and the freedom to choose your own adventure. From quiet moments in nature to high-energy karaoke, from challenging hikes to cozy hot tents, the weekend offered something for everyone. No matter what you’re seeking—adventure, connection, or simply a break from the everyday—Freezing Woman invites you to embrace the season and find your own path.

So whether you’re a seasoned winter camper or a newcomer looking to dip your toes into the world of winter camping, Freezing Woman welcomes you. Come for the adventure, stay for the community, and leave with memories that will last a lifetime.

If you enjoyed yourself at Freezing Woman, please consider leaving a tip. Thank you! 💜

p.s. Another long standing tradition I have with my Freezing Woman trip reports, and frankly any trip I go on, is to reflect on any new gear. Here’s my rundown for new gear I tried at Freezing Woman 6.

Gear geekery

Each year I share reviews about new gear I tried in case others might benefit. This year, I tried the following for the first time.

Kindling cracker - I bought this tool to make splitting wood safer for Freezing Woman participants. It has an axe blade sheltered by a cast iron ring. You place the log in the ring, and whack it with a sledge hammer to drive the log into the blade, splitting the wood. I really like it. and it feels much safer than swinging an axe around. It has a great story too. The woman who invented it did so after witnessing her mother being injured with an axe.

I have to tell you, it makes splitting wood fun! And it’s kind of therapeutic. It’s pretty rare for us to get to swing away violently at something. 🤣

AquaQuest Tarps - with the heavy rain forecast on Thursday night, and light rain most of the weekend, it was crucial to cover up the wood. In the above video you can see two of my Aquaquest Tarps. The orange tarp is an AquaQuest Survivor High Visibility tarp that I’ve had for a few years actually. I absolutely love it! It is light weight, robust, and has so many tie out points. I have both the 15’x15’ and 10’x10’ versions.

To shelter the kiln dried hardwood, I bought a second tarp… the AquaQuest Ultralight Guide tarp. Again, in 15’x15’. It’s significantly lighter than the survivor tarp, so I suspect it’ll give my older tarps a challenge to see which one I reach for when I go on a trip.

I really like the 15’x15’ for large groups, or when I have to shelter something large. The rest of the time, for a smaller group of say 4 people or less, a 10’x10’ tarp is perfect.

Thank you so much for reading my report. Freezing Woman 7 will take place November 20th to 23rd, 2025. Please subscribe to be notified about it, and other events. Curious about what happened last year? Check out the Freezing Woman 5 report.

Kind regards,

Andrea

Trip Report: Freezing Woman 6