Photo of Cline Owen.

Cline Owen

I’ve been a wilderness guide since 1999, leading whitewater canoe trips across Canada, and more recently horseback riding trips in Canada, Ireland and Iceland. I spent many summers guiding on the Nahanni River (NWT), and had the privilege of taking the first two Wild Women groups down the river in early season high water for some thrilling adventures in 2011 and 2012. WWE began offering horseback riding trips in 2013 and I was ready for a change, so I exchanged my paddle for a pair of chaps and headed out west to guide our first adventures on horseback in the Chilcotin mountains of B.C.  Since then, with our expanding horseback program, I’ve been thrilled to guide the Ireland and Iceland treks, and look forward to the horseback riding future of Wild Women. All my trips include some element of yoga, which is my full time career when I’m not guiding.

Outside of guiding, I spend a lot of time traveling in Canada, the U.S. and India to study and teach yoga. I own and operate Wavelengths Yoga in Norwood, Ontario where I teach yoga and offer yoga teacher trainings and continuing education for yoga instructors. I am passionate about music, and have spent 5 years studying Vedic chant, as well as being an amateur singer/songwriter.  I bring my travel guitar on most trips and love leading campfire sing-a-longs.  The rest of the time, you’re most likely to find me galloping through the fields near my home with my 2 year old chocolate lab leading the way.

Being a wild woman is an honor. I am constantly impressed with the strength, courage and sense of adventure of every wild woman that I meet. Being part of WWE is like being part of a large sisterhood.

I love guiding all women trips to see the confidence of the women when they realize what they can accomplish and how they can overcome their fears. Many women join a guided adventure with both excitement and a little bit (or a lot!) of fear.  I get so much joy from watching that fear transform into awe and often a real love of the sport. Women are also great at working together as a team. When we encounter a challenge, everyone pulls together to meet that challenge, and we all become stronger for the experience. And, of course, the amazing life-changing friendships that develop along the way.  

There are so many great memories of working for WWE!  One picture that frequently comes to mind is arriving by horseback at Kringlamyri hut in Iceland.  It is the most peaceful place imaginable, pristinely set in a rolling moss-covered lava field as far as the eye can see, with mountains and glaciers in the distance. We catch a glimpse of the hut from miles away as two tiny boxes nestled in the rolling hills.  Coming closer, we can see the horse paddock fenced off around the rustic barn, and cozy little sleeping cabin for the people.  For two nights, we share row bunks beside a long table and benches for meals.  The cook who travels with us comes up with the most incredible meals from the tiny corner “kitchen,” and we sing songs and tell stories at night by candlelight (not necessary earlier in the season with the midnight sun) because there’s no electricity or wifi! A truly magical place that could make you believe in fairies, elves and trolls as the Icelanders do.