Carys Rees: Mountain rescue volunteer and This Girl Walks founder – Live from the Big Retreat festival

Having had a very outdoorsy upbringing in Carmarthenshire in South Wales, Carys Rees decided that she wanted to give something back to the outdoors community. She’s certainly doing that - by being a volunteer for the Central Beacons Mountain Rescue Team, an ambassador for The Ramblers, and encouraging others to explore South Wales through her hiking-route website, This Girl Walks. It’s a busy life for someone who lives in a city, Cardiff, and who works in London for part of the week. I spoke to Carys at the Big Retreat festival in Pembrokeshire in front of a live audience and I heard more about what the outdoors means to her, how she fits it into her life, and why she’s so keen to spread awareness of the joy of hiking and nature. Don’t miss Carys’ tips for volunteering in the outdoors and places to hike in South Wales at the end of the episode, as well as a minute of the sounds of nature from my recent holiday to Scotland for a little bit of escapism in your busy day. Carys’ episode of The Outdoors Fix is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever else you get your podcasts. It’s also embedded below. I hope you enjoy it! Liv x The Outdoors Fix is a podcast produced and hosted by Liv Bolton @liv_outsideuk You’ll find Carys Rees on Instagram @this.girlwalks. The Big Retreat Festival is @thebigretreatfestival You can find photos and videos from our recording on Instagram @TheOutdoorsFix The Outdoors Fix book is now available: http://bit.ly/3GJDLJc Audio recorded at the festival recorded by Pete Crouch from Liquid Studios.

Om Podcasten

Making adventures outdoors a bigger part of your life. Do you ever sit at your desk wishing you were hiking, wild camping, rock climbing, paddleboarding or wild swimming? If you’re nodding your head, The Outdoors Fix is for you. It’s a podcast to to inspire YOU to get outside and make adventures outdoors a bigger part of your life! Hiker and journalist Liv Bolton speaks to fantastic women and men who have changed their lives to get outdoors more and their stories and tips can help listeners do the same. There’s also practical advice about hiking, cycling, wild swimming and landscape photography to get stuck into too. Recorded outside, the podcast also opens up the conversation about how the outdoors can be key to our wellbeing. You’ll hear how it’s helped some people with their mental health, connected people, brought purpose and a whole lot of fun to people’s lives. You can find the podcast and more information on The Outdoors Fix website or on Instagram @theoutdoorsfix If you enjoy the podcast, please subscribe to make sure you get all the episodes when they come out and please rate and review it to help other people find us. Thanks! * The Outdoors Fix is a podcast hosted and produced by Liv Bolton @liv_outsideuk It is proudly supported by outdoor footwear brand Merrell.