We’re always inspired by the women who make up the FINDRA community. Those finding their own way outdoors and redefining what adventure looks like for them.
This week, we’re delighted to introduce Sophie Nicholson, a freelance media and communications consultant who’s been working closely with the FINDRA team over the past few months. Based in the Highlands just north of Inverness, Soph lives and breathes the outdoors, with a love for big mountain days, quiet solo missions, and finding joy in the simple moments closer to home.
To welcome her to the team, we asked Soph a few questions so you can get to know her a little better.
Rachel Connolly Photography for Sidetracked Magazine
Hi, please tell everyone where you are based and what you do!
Hello there, fab FINDRA folkies! I’m Soph, and I live in the Highlands just north of Inverness with my partner Duncan and my lovely loonie girl - Ace, a Labrador x German Wirehaired Pointer.
I work freelance in media and communications, specialising in the adventure, outdoor, sport and travel industries. I’m very lucky to be working alongside the FINDRA team in a marketing strategy capacity, alongside my other roles as a ski magazine editor, travel website editor, and development consultant for a high-end active travel company.
What’s your favorite way to spend time outdoors?
Oh, this is a tricky one! I love riding bikes of all kinds, climbing, hiking and walking the aforementioned lovely hound - pretty much anything that gets me outside. But if I had to choose, it would be spent specifically in the mountains. Every time.
I’m most in my element moving through big, wild places - running along remote ridgelines, scrambling and climbing in the high mountains, or ski touring in relatively undiscovered spots where you have the place to yourself.
I like to move at pace (as much as this ole crocked bod can do these days) and cover as much ground as possible - long days, linking things together, heading out on a loop, or a ‘journey’, rather than just going out and back. I’m drawn to places that feel a bit more off the radar.
I’m just as happy out there on my own as I am with others - but if I’m honest, I’d always choose a solo mission over ‘average’ company.
Can you share your favourite, memorable outdoor adventure or experience?
And another absolute beast of a question!
There are a few that immediately jump to mind - running the Alta Via 1 in the Dolomites with friends, bikepacking solo from Venice to Nice over the Dolomites and Alps, summit-to-loch ski touring on the remote Sgùrr na Lapaich with only a sea eagle for company, or spending a couple of weeks living out on the tundra in Greenland on a ski expedition with wonderful people. There have been some truly fantastic moments - I’m a lucky, lucky girl.
But if I had to choose one, it would be the Cuillin Ridge on Skye last May.
The last decade hasn’t been straightforward for me - five ankle breaks, ligament reconstruction surgery, and a whole host of back and hip issues that had me wondering whether I’d ever move freely in the mountains ever again.
So to be up there at all felt like a massive win.
It was just me and a guide friend. Two days of blue skies, moving steadily along the ridge, barely seeing another soul. We abseiled off the Inn Pinn alone as the sun began to drop, then bivvied above Glen Brittle as the light faded into the sea - one of those evenings where you feel utterly, completely alive.
When we finally got back to the van the following evening, I was knackered but buzzing. It made all the hard work - the rehab, the pain and the constant questioning - worth it.
Genuinely the most rewarding couple of days I’ve had in the mountains for a long, long time. Maybe ever.
How do you manage to find a balance between being active and life’s other responsibilities i.e. work and family?
As an outdoor writer/editor, I’m very lucky that being active has always been a big part of my job. That said, these days I do spend more time at home and in front of a laptop - time moves on.
Life looks a bit different now. I’ve got the dog, so adventures closer to home are more the order of the day. But if anything, I’ve come to appreciate those moments even more.
I get just as much of a buzz running up a local hill with Ace at sunrise as I ever did from the bigger, more ‘epic’ adventures. Sharing it with her is the best (as long as she’s not chasing deer!!)
Is there anyone in particular that inspired your love of the outdoors?
Absolutely. My parents - and in particular, my dad.
Growing up, we were always outside. Nothing especially ‘epic’, just an active, outdoorsy life where a daily walk was as much a part of the routine as brushing your teeth. Playing cricket on the beach, spotting caterpillars, family bike rides, tennis on a homemade court on the drive - that kind of thing.
My dad was always off in the hills, ski touring or walking. Sometimes with friends, but often on his own, so I never really grew up with the idea that being solo in the hills was in any way unusual or dangerous. He showed me that, as long as you’re sensible and make good decisions, you can go off and do things independently. We both take huge pride in knowing when to turn around.
He’s travelled all over the world on ski touring expeditions - the Alps, Japan, Norway, Greenland, Morocco, Canada… you name it. He’s 82 now and still out there, still skiing, still getting after it.
After a particularly difficult period in my life, he introduced me to ski touring here in the Highlands - and that changed everything.
I fell in love with the simplicity of it. It’s such a brilliant way to move through the mountains. The uphill forces you to slow down, to look around, to notice things - the wildlife, the snowpack, the shape of the terrain, where the best lines might be. And then, if you’re lucky, the descent is pure fun - speed, flow, creativity, shared stoke, big grins.
It sounds like a bit of a cliché but ski touring really is a metaphor for life - keep moving forward, one step at a time, and you will experience amazing things. The key is to keep trying. Quietly, consistently, and without giving up.
My dad opened that door for me, and we’re still having adventures together now.
His dad showed him the way, he passed it on to me - and I’m incredibly grateful for that. He is, and always will be, my biggest inspiration by a long way.
What role does nature play in your mental well-being?
The two are completely intertwined.
Spending time outdoors isn’t just about doing things or ticking off objectives - it’s about being part of something.. Something wild, grounding, inspiring and quietly brilliant.
Rachel Connolly Photography for Sidetracked Magazine
For me, it’s all in the small details. Noticing the flowers, birds and wildlife. The colour of the heather. The height of the rivers. It’s about stepping outside your own head - being curious, paying attention, and really observing what’s around you.
I love looking up at mountains and imagining ways to link up summits - on foot or on skis - or just picturing what it might feel like to be up there at sunrise or sunset. Taking photos plays a big part too. It forces you to slow down, scan your surroundings and actually see things - however small.
There’s a lot to be said for talking things through, but I think there’s just as much value in filling your head with new things and new experiences. Sometimes that’s a big day out. Sometimes it’s something tiny you might otherwise have missed.
You just have to give yourself the space to notice it and consciously switch your focus. Step away from the noise, lift your head, and look up. And look beyond.
What’s the one piece of gear or clothing you never leave home without on an outdoor trip?
This one definitely needs a bit of seasonal context…
In winter, it’s an insulated iPhone holder I was once given as a promotional freebie at an outdoor trade show. It’s basically a tiny sleeping bag for your phone - it’s cute, but crucially, it’s super useful as it helps preserve battery life in cold conditions.
For ski touring, it’s a mini bottle of WD40 that lives in my spares kit. It sorts stubborn ski/walk modes on touring boots, sticky pin bindings, and helps ski crampons slide when they’re being awkward. Not glamorous, but very effective.
In summer, whether I’m running or hiking, it’s an emergency bivvy bag. Having broken my ankle in the hills more than once, I’m very aware of how quickly things can unravel. If you’re in a remote spot, it could be a while before help arrives. It’s light, small and bright - and could quite literally save your life.
And I never head out without snacks for Ace.
We’re both big fans of cheese.
When did you discover FINDRA?
About 10 years ago, when we moved back to Scotland from France - so not long after FINDRA first got going.
At the time, I was really into mountain biking and bikepacking, and there was a huge gap when it came to decent gear for women. I started noticing this brand popping up on some pretty cool people doing pretty cool things - Lee Craigie and The Adventure Syndicate, Megan Hine, and others.
What stood out straight away was how different it looked. It had a real presence about it. Quietly cool. Understated, but totally capable.
And the fact it was designed by a woman - and was Scottish - just made it even better.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?
I can’t think of a single piece of advice, but there are a couple of quotes that have really stuck with me over the years.
“Whether you think you can or you think you can’t, you’re right.” - Henry Ford
And one I come back to time and time again:
“The only way out is through.” - Robert Frost
Resilience gets talked about a lot these days, for good reason - it’s an essential skill, and something that needs to be constantly worked on to navigate the ups and downs that life throws at you.
Rachel Connolly Photography for Sidetracked Magazine
On writing this blog, what do you feel is the key motivational or inspirational message you would like to highlight to our followers that would inspire them to get outdoors more.
Take the time to figure out what makes you happy - then make space for it, as often as you can.
Don’t make it about anyone else. Go outside and learn what works for you. What you enjoy. What makes you feel good? Do it your way. On your terms.
Whether that’s pottering around in the garden with your hands in the soil, heading somewhere where you’ll catch the bluebells on your daily dog walk, lining up for your first parkrun and committing to really give it a go, or heading out on a big wilderness ride with a pal and trying your first bivvy - it’s all about finding your ‘thing’.
And never letting it go.
Sunday Inspiration
Favourite Podcast
But Why with Clemmie Telford - Caitlin Moran on Womanhood
Favourite Quote
Favourite Song
