Women's Adventure Film Tour 2026
Come be a part of the 2nd Annual Women's Adventure Film Tour (WAFT) hosted by Cornell Outdoor Education!
The Women’s Adventure Film Tour will feature a thrilling selection of films that span extreme sports, personal journeys, and boundary-pushing storytelling from across the globe. This year’s program highlights the resilience and creativity of individuals navigating the challenges of both the outer world and their own inner landscapes. These films represent the spirit of perseverance and the power of women in the outdoors to inspire, entertain, and spark important conversations
Be a part of the adventures at Cornell Cinema on Tuesday, March 10, from 6pm-9pm. Between films, you'll hear awesome adventure stories from local storytellers and there will be an opportunity to win some outdoor gear during intermission.
Please also join COE for another WAFT showing with completely different films at Cinemapolis in Downtown Ithaca on Thursday, March 12, from 6pm-9pm.
Free admission! Space is limited and registration is strongly encouraged.
WAFT is committed to celebrating diverse voices and innovative storytelling. This year’s selections showcase not only groundbreaking sports films but also powerful narratives that highlight women in adventure, athletes challenging societal expectations, and the transformative power of travel and exploration.
The program includes:
Beyond the Known
Filmmaker: Sami Sauri
What does adventure mean? For Sami, a multisport athlete and filmmaker, it’s movement and shared experience.
In collaboration with Assos and Mammut, Sami leads a cycling expedition across Turkey with four women. Strangers from different backgrounds, united by their love for riding. Neza from Rwanda dreams of becoming a coach. Melina juggles a full-time role at Mammut with a passion for gravel and road cycling. Denisa is quiet yet fearless, most at home in nature. Lena is a climber and photographer who captures the soul of the wild.
Together they ride through raw landscapes and remote villages, facing obstacles, falls, and unexpected moments that turn strangers into a team. More than a sporting challenge, this journey becomes a story of connection, resilience, and rediscovery. It’s proof that the best adventures are the ones we share.
Trail to Baynihan
Filmmaker: Cat Aeppel
“Trail to Bayanihan” follows Sam’s journey as she pedals through diverse landscapes, celebrating the joy of biking and the power of community. Along the way, she discovers how a bike can bridge distances and forge deep human connections. As she explores breathtaking terrains and bonds with local riders, including the passionate Baguio crew, the film highlights the Filipino biking community’s role in shaping her journey. Grounded in her search for cultural roots, “Trail to Bayanihan” ultimately reveals the wider family Sam finds through biking, transforming her quest for heritage into a celebration of shared humanity.
Tails of Adventure
Filmmaker: Vagary Studio
Travel writer Hunter Bergen knows just how transformative writing can be. For her, writing while on the road is more than just a job; it's a journey of personal growth and discovery
Line & Air
Filmmaker: Guido Perrini & Bertrand Delapierre
Before achieving global success as a professional snowboarder, Géraldine Fasnacht’s first love was flying. Now, as a qualified ultralight plane pilot, she combines her passions to open up the high mountains. Landing ultralight planes on alpine glaciers is nothing new – pioneering aviator Hermann Geiger opened the highest landing spot in Switzerland, 4,370 meters up on the Monte Rosa glacier, in 1921.
But using planes to reach previously inaccessible big lines? That’s unprecedented. In 'LINE & AIR', Marion Haerty and Christina Lusti take to the skies with Géraldine to honour those early pioneers of Alpine aviation and push the limits of what’s possible on the snow below.
Between films, you'll hear two stories from local women highlighting their experiences discussing courage, adventure and self discovery. There will be an opportunity to win some outdoor gear during intermission.
Storytellers
Kristen Pike (KP) - Ithaca native, English teacher, outdoor Educator
KP is an Ithaca native who relishes her outside time. KP has led backpacking, climbing, paddling and mountaineering trips for COE and international and independent schools in Costa Rica, the Himalayas, South Africa, the Pacific Northwest, Hawai'i, and Baja, Mexico. She has been an English teacher and Outdoor Educator for more than 20 years in schools around the world, and in addition to being an Instructional Specialist at TST BOCES, she also leads courses for the Cornell Team and Leadership Center. KP is the proud mother of two awesome and hilarious daughters; she can often be found rowing a crew shell or paddling an outrigger canoe on Cayuga Lake.
Maria Klemperer-Johnson - Executive director of Hammerstone School
Maria is the head teacher, and lead carpenter on Hammerstone construction projects. Her passion for building, in particular natural building and timber framing, is apparent in her work and in her classes. She is a proponent of high performance construction using natural materials. If you have had the chance to take a class with Maria then you know in carpentry, brain is just as important as brawn. She believes unabashedly in the empowerment that Hammerstone courses provide. She encourages women to think practically and use tailored body mechanics to perform tasks safely to prevent injury.
The Women's Adventure Film Tour is presented by Cornell Outdoor Education.
The event is made possible by support from The Student Activities Funding Commission and Cornell Outing Club,
COE is looking for organizations, clubs and individuals to support the event, tell a story, or volunteer. Click here to learn more or sign up!