The Outdoors Fix
The Outdoors Fix is an award-winning podcast that inspires listeners to make the outdoors a bigger part of their lives. Hosted by hiker and journalist Liv Bolton, it features stories from people who have transformed their lives by embracing outdoor activities like hiking, wild camping, rock climbing, and wild swimming. The podcast also offers practical advice on outdoor pursuits and explores how nature can improve mental health and wellbeing. Recorded outside, it aims to connect people with the benefits of spending time in nature.
Episodes
Liv’s highlights from the past year of The Outdoors Fix podcast
In this special episode of The Outdoors Fix to mark the end of the current run of conversations, I wanted to pick out my highlights from the past year.
I’ve had so much fun heading out to record conversations in all sorts of outdoor places — from a hillside in the Howgill Fells in Cumbria, to a reservoir on the edge of Greater Manchester, to a valley in Eryri — or Snowdonia — and a woodland in Lon
Francesca Donovan: From city life to co-editor of The Great Outdoors magazine
The Outdoors Fix is a podcast to inspire you to make the outdoors a bigger part of your life. It’s hosted by Liv Bolton.
This week my guest is Francesca Donovan, a hiker, outdoor swimmer and co-editor of The Great Outdoors Magazine.
Now, you might expect someone in that role to have grown up immersed in nature… but Francesca’s background is quite different.
Her childhood wasn’t outdoorsy— and for
Paul Wood: Tree hunting in Britain and Ireland’s towns and cities
The Outdoors Fix is a podcast to inspire you to make the outdoors a bigger part of your life. It’s hosted by Liv Bolton.
Let me ask you something: How well do you know the trees in your local area? Do you have a favourite?
One of mine is an ancient sweet chestnut in the Ashridge Estate in the Chilterns, not far from where I grew up. It’s enormous, with beautifully twisted bark, and it’s thought to
Joy, rain and handstands – Hiking with Mountain Leader Sameed Asghar
The Outdoors Fix is a podcast to inspire you to make the outdoors a bigger part of your life. It’s hosted by Liv Bolton.
In this episode, Liv Bolton is joined by Sameed Asghar, who takes her and photographer Frankie Dewar on a hike up to a waterfall in Carding Mill Valley in Shropshire. It turns out to be possibly one of the wettest recordings Liv’s ever done… but also one of the most fun.
Sameed
Max Swinhoe: Living – and hiking – with an upper limb difference
The Outdoors Fix is a podcast to inspire you to make the outdoors a bigger part of your life. It’s hosted by Liv Bolton.
In this episode, Liv Bolton goes for a wonderfully atmospheric, mist-soaked walk in Eryri [Snowdonia] with Max Swinhoe.
Max’s love for hiking runs deep. She’s completed the 2,200-mile long Appalachian Trail in the US, tackled multi-day routes across the UK, and she’s now a Mount
Beth Craigen: The outdoors youth worker changing lives through nature
The Outdoors Fix is a podcast to inspire you to make the outdoors a bigger part of your life. It’s hosted by Liv Bolton.
In this episode, Liv Bolton is in the beautiful Wythenshawe Park in Greater Manchester with someone who’s truly impacting lives through nature — Beth Craigen.
Beth is an Outdoors Youth Worker for the charity Nacro Greater Manchester Outdoor Learning, a qualified Lowland Leader,
‘It’s never too late’: The Running Granny Angela White on ultra running & healthy ageing
The Outdoors Fix is a podcast to inspire you to make the outdoors a bigger part of your life. It’s hosted by Liv Bolton.
This episode takes Liv Bolton to the beautiful Howgill fells in Cumbria to walk with Angela White, better known as the Running Granny. Angela is a retired doctor and surgeon and now an ultra runner and personal trainer.
Over the past 15 years, she’s taken on some extraordinary
Soft Girls Who Hike: Meet Emily and Lucy, the women behind the #softhiking viral trend
The Outdoors Fix is a podcast to inspire you to make the outdoors a bigger part of your life. It’s hosted by Liv Bolton.
This episode takes us to the beautiful Dove Stone Reservoir on the edge of Greater Manchester, where Liv Bolton walks with Emily Thornton and Lucy Hird — the duo known as Soft Girls Who Hike.
They’re the voices behind the viral #softhiking trend — a social media movement that’s
How Kitsquad’s Fran Pearson helped nearly 5,000 people in poverty to access outdoors gear
The Outdoors Fix is a podcast to inspire you to make the outdoors a bigger part of your life. It’s hosted by Liv Bolton.
In this episode, Liv Bolton is off to Shropshire for a walk — and a bit of a splash — with Fran Pearson.
Fran is the founder of Kitsquad, a brilliant outdoors charity that’s already helped nearly 5,000 people experiencing poverty to get properly kitted out for adventures in natu
Chantelle Lindsay: The wildlife conservationist who loves urban hiking
The Outdoors Fix is a podcast to inspire you to make the outdoors a bigger part of your life. It’s hosted by Liv Bolton.
In the first episode of a new series, Liv Bolton goes for a walk in Sydenham Hill Wood in south London with Chantelle Lindsay.
Chantelle knows the 23-acre wood extremely well as she’s a wildlife conservationist who works there for the London Wildlife Trust.
She’s also a present
The Outdoors Fix throwback: Carla Khouri, the outdoors trailblazer
As there are now more than 60 episodes of The Outdoors Fix, and while I’m working on a new series, I thought I’d help you pick out some of my favourite conversations from over the years with these throwback episodes.
In this episode, I’m revisiting my conversation with Carla Khouri. Carla is a qualified mountain leader who’s also the course director for Black Girls Hike, a Duke of Edinburgh assess
The Outdoors Fix throwback: James Rebanks, author and shepherd
As there are now more than 60 episodes of The Outdoors Fix, and while I’m working on a new series, I thought I’d help you pick out some of my favourite conversations from over the years with these throwback episodes.
In this episode, I’m revisiting my conversation with James Rebanks. James is a shepherd, farmer and the author of the bestselling books The Shepherd’s Life, English Pastoral and The P
The Outdoors Fix throwback: Vicky Balfour’s ‘pockets of adventure’
As there are now more than 60 episodes of The Outdoors Fix, and while I’m working on a new series, I thought I’d help you pick out some of my favourite conversations from over the years with these throwback episodes.
In this episode, I’m revisiting my conversation with Vicky Balfour. Vicky’s an avid mountain biker, bike mechanic, writer, special needs parent and founder of Vicky Bikes, her busines
The Outdoors Fix throwback: Mountain leader Emma Holland
As there are now more than 60 episodes of The Outdoors Fix, and while I’m working on a new series, I thought I’d help you pick out some of my favourite conversations from over the years with these throwback episodes.
In this episode, I’m revisiting my conversation with Emma Holland. Emma’s a qualified mountain leader who runs her own mountain leader business, Emma Holland Mountain Training. Having
Juls Stodel: A journey to 104 bothies and 100 Scottish islands
The Outdoors Fix is a podcast to inspire you to make the outdoors a bigger part of your life. It’s hosted by Liv Bolton.
For this episode, Juls Stodel takes Liv for a walk to a bothy in the Scottish Borders.
Juls is a hiker and trustee of the Mountain Bothies Association. She journeyed to 104 bothies in Scotland, England and Wales in 2023 - a challenge that took her a year.
From bothies on remot
Robert Finch: The orienteer and trail runner working for Ordnance Survey in the Cotswolds
The Outdoors Fix is a podcast to inspire you to make the outdoors a bigger part of your life. It’s hosted by Liv Bolton.
In this episode, Liv Bolton goes for a hike up the very steep Leckhampton Hill in the Cotswolds with Robert Finch.
An orienteer and trail runner, Rob works for Ordnance Survey as a Field Surveyor.
He’s a listener of the podcast and when he heard Liv was looking to speak to som
Marie Cheng: Leaving London life for the outdoors and trail running
The Outdoors Fix is a podcast to inspire you to make the outdoors a bigger part of your life. It’s hosted by Liv Bolton.
In this episode, Liv Bolton goes for a walk in the Peak District with Marie Cheng.
Marie’s life has been transformed by the outdoors in the last few years. Before the pandemic, Marie used to work as a consultant in London. She loved hiking and skiing, but felt like they were ju
Marlon Patrice: Nature, grief and setting up We Go Outside Too
The Outdoors Fix is a podcast to inspire you to make the outdoors a bigger part of your life. It’s hosted by Liv Bolton.
In this episode, Liv Bolton goes for a walk on Harborne Walkway in Birmingham with hiker, runner, model and founder of We Go Outside Too Marlon Patrice.
We Go Outside Too is a group which aims to make the countryside more accessible for the black community and to increase repre
Alastair Humphreys: Author and adventurer getting more Local
The Outdoors Fix is a podcast to inspire you to make the outdoors a bigger part of your life. It’s hosted by Liv Bolton.
In this episode, Liv Bolton goes for a walk in Swanscombe Marshes by the River Thames in Kent with the adventurer and author Alastair Humphreys.
Al’s relationship with the outdoors has changed a lot over the years - he’s been on extraordinary expeditions all around the world,
Phoebe Sneddon: Gravel biker, mum and NHS paediatric consultant
The Outdoors Fix is a podcast to inspire you to make the outdoors a bigger part of your life. It’s hosted by Liv Bolton.
In this episode, cyclist, mum and NHS paediatric consultant Phoebe Sneddon chats to Liv Bolton on a walk in the Peak District.
Phoebe’s big passion is cycling, and she loves bike packing, cyclocross and gravel biking with a trailer carrying her children.
Through her adventures
Cath Pendleton: The ice swimming ‘Merthyr Mermaid’ – Live from the Big Retreat festival
Cath Pendleton works full-time in an office in Wales and is a single mum to two daughters. But she’s also swum an ice mile in Antarctica, won Bronze for Team GB in the World Ice Swimming Championships in Russia and completed a swim across the English Channel.
Cath’s inspired countless women to get outside and have an adventure, including TV presenter Louise Minchin, whom she persuaded to go free d
Siobhan Daniels: The ‘Retirement Rebel’ adventuring all over the UK – Live from the Big Retreat festival
At the age of 60, Siobhan Daniels decided to sell her flat and most of her belongings, buy a motorhome and explore all around the UK.
Five years later, she’s fulfilled so many of her dreams, including spending months adventuring around Orkney and the Outer Hebrides, watching beautiful sunsets in the wilderness and writing a book about her journey.
Siobhan, who calls herself a ‘pro-age campaigner’
David Haze: Prison to paddleboarding and breaking world records – Live from the Big Retreat festival
David Haze’s story is one of the most extraordinary that I have ever come across on this podcast.
He’s a nine-time world record breaking paddleboarder and ocean activist. But five years ago, he was in prison for burglary and handling stolen goods.
In the years since his release, he’s grabbed his second chance at life and undertaken some extraordinary paddleboarding adventures, breaking records in
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
Feed swap: The Salt Path author Raynor Winn speaks to the Folk on Foot podcast
The Outdoors Fix is a podcast to inspire you to make the outdoors a bigger part of your life. It’s hosted by Liv Bolton.
Hello! I’m currently in the middle of producing a new series of The Outdoors Fix podcast. So in the meantime, I’ve got a special episode for you that I think you’ll enjoy!
Some of you will remember an episode I recorded with Matthew Bannister back in 2020 - he’s the founder of
Liv’s highlights from 5 years of The Outdoors Fix podcast
The Outdoors Fix is a podcast to inspire you to make the outdoors a bigger part of your life. It’s hosted by Liv Bolton.
*10 February 2024 marks 5 years since the first episode of The Outdoors Fix podcast!*
To celebrate this milestone, I’ve got a NEW PODCAST EPISODE for you of some of my favourite moments from The Outdoors Fix recordings over the years!
I’ve loved speaking to every single one of
Tom Burns: The Knepp rewilding project’s ranger and woodsman
The Outdoors Fix is a podcast to inspire you to make the outdoors a bigger part of your life. It’s hosted by Liv Bolton.
Tom Burns is the ranger and woodsman at Knepp estate in West Sussex, a pioneering rewilding project led by the estate’s owners and conservationists Charlie Burrell and Isabella Tree.
But growing up in the town of Crawley and passionate about rugby, Tom never expected that his
Munira Ali: Walking London’s 3,000 parks and green spaces
The Outdoors Fix is a podcast to inspire you to make the outdoors a bigger part of your life. It’s hosted by Liv Bolton.
Munira Ali discovered the joy of walking in 2019 when she was struggling with her mental health. She’s now attempting to walk in all of London’s 3,000 parks, spreading the message, particularly within her British-Somaliland community, about the pleasure of exploring urban green
Sarah Banks: Writing a Wild Guide to North East England
The Outdoors Fix is a podcast to inspire you to make the outdoors a bigger part of your life. It’s hosted by Liv Bolton.
Sarah Banks is a journalist and writer who’s just spent 18 months researching and writing the Wild Guide to North East England.
In search of 1,000 different wild spots for the book, Sarah explored all over Northumberland, the North York Moors, the Yorkshire Wolds and the North
Katy O’Neill Gutierrez: The mum who set up Blaze Trails, the parent and baby walking community
The Outdoors Fix is a podcast to inspire you to make the outdoors a bigger part of your life. It’s hosted by Liv Bolton.
Katy O’Neill Gutierrez is a mum of two and the founder of Blaze Trails, a network of walking groups all around the UK for parents and their babies.
Realising that getting outdoors was crucial to her mental health after a traumatic labour with her first daughter, Katy started o
Elise Wortley: Surviving alone in the Canadian wilderness & following forgotten female explorers
The Outdoors Fix is a podcast to inspire you to make the outdoors a bigger part of your life. It’s hosted by Liv Bolton.
Elise Wortley is an adventurer who follows in the footsteps of intrepid female explorers of the past.
Her fascination with these women has taken her on expeditions all over the world for her Woman with Altitude Project, from the Himalayas dressed in a yak coat and wooden backpa
Carla Khouri: The science teacher turned mountain leader training to be the first black winter ML
The Outdoors Fix is a podcast to inspire you to make the outdoors a bigger part of your life. It’s hosted by Liv Bolton.
Carla Khouri is a qualified mountain leader who’s also the course director for Black Girls Hike, a Duke of Edinburgh assessor, paddlesports leader and Merrell Hiking Club organiser. But she lives in London and she used to be a science teacher!
Carla is also one of only two bla
Emma Holland: Becoming a mountain leader in mid-life in the Peak District
The Outdoors Fix is a podcast to inspire you to make the outdoors a bigger part of your life. It’s hosted by Liv Bolton.
Emma Holland is a qualified mountain leader who runs her own mountain leader business, Emma Holland Mountain Training. You’ll often find her in the Peak District leading groups on hikes, teaching navigation or wild camping in the hills. Through her walks and courses, she’s tryin
Debbie Croydon: The open water swimming coach who set up Soul Swimmers
The Outdoors Fix is a podcast to inspire you to make the outdoors a bigger part of your life. It’s hosted by Liv Bolton.
Debbie Croydon found a deep love of swimming in open water later in life and she’s working hard to encourage women, particularly from Black and Asian communities, to give it a go too.
Debbie’s a swimming teacher, an open water coach and triathlon coach - she’s also the co-foun
Kate Capelli: The founder of Adventuress in the Wild championing women in the outdoors
The Outdoors Fix is a podcast to inspire you to make the outdoors a bigger part of your life. It’s hosted by Liv Bolton.
Are you looking to join an adventure community or thinking about setting one up?
For this episode, I went for a walk with Kate Capelli, the founder of Adventuress in the Wild. It’s an adventure community for women based in London and the South East that’s massively grown since
Chris Gaskin: The Special Forces veteran who set a Wainwright record in the Lake District
The Outdoors Fix is a podcast to inspire you to make the outdoors a bigger part of your life. It’s hosted by Liv Bolton.
Have you ever wanted to take on an outdoors challenge or tick off an outdoors goal but you’ve never got round to it or you’ve doubted yourself? My guest in this episode, Chris Gaskin, is someone who might give you the confidence to go for it.
Chris is a Special Forces veteran
Vicky Balfour: The mountain biker finding ‘pockets of adventure’ in everyday life
The Outdoors Fix is a podcast to inspire you to make the outdoors a bigger part of your life. It’s hosted by Liv Bolton.
Are you desperate to go on more outdoors adventures but feel like you never have enough time?
Vicky Balfour’s story might just be the spark of inspiration you’re looking for!
Vicky lives in Kent and is an avid mountain biker, bike mechanic, writer, special needs parent and foun
Sharnee Gardner: From modelling for Vogue to life as a professional gardener
Ever thought about changing your career and becoming a gardener?
Sharnee Gardner’s story might just give you the inspiration you need!
Originally from Australia, Sharnee moved to the UK aged 16 after being scouted to be a model.
She’s appeared in Vogue and countless other fashion magazines, and done catwalks and fashion weeks all over the world.
But in the last 18 months, she’s completely transf
Kumbi Kariwo: The nurse who used rock climbing to get through the Covid-19 pandemic
The Outdoors Fix is a podcast to inspire you to make the outdoors a bigger part of your life. It’s hosted by Liv Bolton.
Kumbi Kariwo first came across rock climbing as a child in Zimbabwe.
It’s a sport that has been important to her throughout a large part of her life, particularly after she moved to the UK aged 18.
But little did she know just how vital it would become during the Covid-19 pand
Helen Iles: Life as a mountain rescue volunteer and landscape photographer in Wales
The Outdoors Fix is a podcast to inspire you to make the outdoors a bigger part of your life. It’s hosted by Liv Bolton.
Have you ever dreamt about creating an outdoorsy life and career, but you didn’t know how you could make it happen? Helen Iles’ story might give you some food for thought!
Helen lives in Dolgellau in southern Snowdonia and she is a mountain rescue volunteer for South Snowdonia S
Jack Williams: The Himalayas, cancer and mountain leading in Snowdonia
The Outdoors Fix is a podcast to inspire you to make the outdoors a bigger part of your life. It’s hosted by Liv Bolton.
My guest in this episode is mountain leader, hiker and trail runner Jack Williams. Jack’s outdoors life has had many different chapters.
In his twenties, Jack was gripped by pursuing expeditions all around the world, including to the Himalayas and the Sahara Desert. He worked
Elise Downing: Life after running 5,000 miles around the coast of Britain
The Outdoors Fix is a podcast to inspire you to make the outdoors a bigger part of your life. It’s hosted by Liv Bolton.
Elise Downing was in her early twenties and sitting miserably in an office when she decided to do something more than a little out of the norm. She looked at a map of Great Britain and wondered if anyone had ever run around the coast. As you do. A search online suggested not ma
Frankie Butler: From England hockey to outdoor wheelchair adventures
The Outdoors Fix is a podcast to inspire you to make the outdoors a bigger part of your life. It’s hosted by Liv Bolton.
Has the outdoors helped you during a difficult time in your life?
My guest in this episode is Frankie Butler.
Frankie used to be an England hockey player, but in 2019 she suffered a devastating injury during a match. It left her unable to walk and needing to use a wheelchair.
I
Dr Lucy Loveday: The wild swimming GP championing mental wellbeing in the outdoors
Has the outdoors ever helped your mental health? Wondered why? Listen on to find out!
My guest in this episode is Dr Lucy Loveday.
Lucy is a GP and medical educationalist, fell runner and wild swimmer who lives on Dartmoor.
Her life is focused on the benefits of nature for mental wellbeing. And through her work as a doctor, she’s developed evidence-based Wellbeing Toolkits and a green prescription
Preet Chandi: The Army Officer on her way to Antarctica
What big outdoors adventure would you want to do if you really put your mind to it?
For my guest Preet Chandi, her dream involves Antarctica.
Preet is an officer and physiotherapist in the British Army. She’s also a Nordic skier and endurance runner and she is preparing for the biggest trip of her life in November - a solo expedition to the South Pole.
She’ll be on skis, pulling her kit on a sle
Jamie Neill: How Scotland’s Munros saved me when my badminton career ended
What do you do when your sporting career, which has been your life since you were nine years old, comes to an end?
For my guest Jamie Neill, the answer was to put on a pair of hiking boots.
Jamie was a professional badminton player travelling the world and playing for Scotland in the World Championships. But when his playing career had to stop, he swapped the indoor courts for the outdoors and h
Laura Doling: Moving from Essex to be a postwoman in the Lake District
For those of you who have ever dreamt about moving your job and home to the countryside, this one’s for you!
My guest in this episode is Laura Doling. She’s a postwoman in the Lake District, as well as a hiker, paddle boarder and wild swimmer.
Laura used to live in a town in Essex, work in healthcare and she says she spent many of her weekends getting dressed up and going out.
But after a campi
Oge Ejizu: Adventuring in London with Black Girls Hike
My guest in this episode is Oge Ejizu - a hiker and the London regional leader for Black Girls Hike, a walking group for black women.
Growing up in London, hiking wasn’t something that Oge’s family was interested in and as she puts it, she didn’t see anyone like her in the outdoors, so she assumed it wasn’t for her.
But a few years ago, a friend persuaded her to start going on walks together and
James Rebanks: The life of a shepherd and farmer in the Lake District
I’m absolutely thrilled that my guest in this episode is James Rebanks.
He’s a shepherd, farmer and writer and the author of the bestselling book The Shepherd’s Life and new book English Pastoral.
James’ farm is in the Matterdale Valley near Ullswater in the Lake District and his family has farmed in that stunning area for 600 years
He owns a large flock of Herdwick sheep, some belted Galloway c
Tolga Aktas: How I moved from electrical engineering to working in conservation
My guest in this episode is Tolga Aktas. His story is one for those of you who are thinking of changing your career to be outdoors and in nature more.
Tolga is a conservation biologist, writer and photographer who has just finished his degree in Animal Biology.
His studies and love of animals and nature have taken him to Africa, Borneo and all over the UK, doing field work and volunteering on cons
Debbie North: Wheelchair adventuring all over the UK
My guest in this episode is Debbie North. She’s an extraordinary woman who has overcome so many challenges to pursue her outdoors life.
A passionate hill walker when she was younger, Debbie was diagnosed with spinal degeneration a few years ago, meaning that she is now in a wheelchair.
But losing her mobility didn’t stop her determination to be able to explore the outdoors. She just found a motori
Rehna Yaseen: Life as an outdoors instructor in the Peak District
Imagine getting to take teenagers hiking, canoeing and winter climbing for your full-time job.
My guest in this podcast episode is Rehna Yaseen - she’s an outdoors instructor and youth and community worker who spends many of her days giving city-based teenagers fantastic outdoors adventures that they wouldn’t normally get to experience.
Rehna lives in Greater Manchester but her outdoors role in ba
Gilly McArthur: The Lake District’s ice swimmer and rock climber
If you’ve ever wanted to go and live in the Lake District, this episode might be just the motivation you need!
My guest is Gilly McArthur and she’s a wild swimmer, rock climber, illustrator and organiser of outdoors events, who lives in Kendal in the Lake District.
An ambassador for the outdoors community Wonderful Wild Women, Gilly also runs the Women’s Trad Festival for people interested in roc
Matthew Bannister: Walking around the UK for the Folk on Foot podcast
What if you could combine your passions into your dream outdoors job?
My guest in this episode, BBC radio presenter Matthew Bannister, has done just that.
Late on in his broadcasting career, Matthew has managed to merge his love for walking, the outdoors and folk music into his work. The result is his podcast, Folk on Foot.
Matthew has been on walks all over the UK for the podcast, from Sandwood
Frit Sarita Tam: How a charity walk led to an outdoorsy life and career
My guest in this episode is Frit Sarita Tam - she’s an adventure filmmaker and photographer, rock climber, hiker, paddle boarder and more.
Frit’s introduction to the outdoors was by no means gentle - a 50km, 16 hour charity hike on the South Downs Way with no previous hiking experience.
But it sparked a fascination with spending time outside and since then, she’s consciously taken baby-steps (as
Jen Benson: Adventure guidebook writing and camping around the UK for a year
What if you could go camping all over the UK for a year and write books off the back of your outdoors adventures?
Jen Benson is my guest in this episode and she and her husband Sim are outdoor adventure guidebook authors, travel writers and long-distance runners. Their books include Wild Running, The Adventurer’s Guide to Britain, Short Runs in Beautiful Places and Amazing Family Adventures.
They
Ben Dolphin: Life as a countryside ranger in Scotland
Fancy switching up your life, moving to the countryside and becoming a ranger, like Ben Dolphin?
Ben is a countryside ranger in Scotland, an outdoors writer and blogger and he’s just finished his three year term as President of Ramblers Scotland.
He used to work for a bank but a few years ago he got chatting to a fellow walker on the top of a hill and that chance meeting changed the course of his
Sophie Pavelle: The zoologist and hiker who’s obsessed with British wildlife
Sophie Pavelle is a zoologist, science communicator, environmental advocate and the Youth Ambassador for the Wildlife Trusts. She’s incredibly passionate about the wildlife we have in the UK and through her work she tries to encourage others to appreciate it and therefore want to protect it.
How did she get here? It involved a 300 mile hike around the coast of Cornwall for her masters degree!
Soph
Becky The Traveller: From banking to hiking 950 miles across the UK
Would you like to walk 950 miles across the UK and write about your hiking adventures?
Today’s guest has done exactly that. She’s also turned hiking and adventure blogging into her career! It’s Becky Angell, also known as Becky The Traveller!
A few years ago, Becky was made redundant from her job in banking. Seeing it as an opportunity, she decided to try and completely change her life and make th
Jo Moseley: Midlife adventuring and paddleboarding coast-to-coast
In her late forties, Jo Moseley found herself crying in the biscuit aisle at Tesco.
She was caring for her parents who were both going through cancer treatment and she was a working mum looking after her two sons. Jo says she was feeling exhausted and overwhelmed.
After a friend persuaded her to take up exercise, Jo started spending more time in the outdoors. Over a few years, those activities hav
Kenny Block: Landscape photography in the Lake District
Kenny Block can often be found in the Lake District hiking to get to dramatic view points and capture the stunning scenery with his camera or drone.
He has a full-time job as a railway signaller in Cumbria but in his spare time he’s also a landscape photographer.
Kenny hasn’t alway been outdoorsy - and for a large portion of his teenage years and twenties he says he was caught up with drugs. Wh
Emily Scott: Leaving full-time accountancy for a life in the mountains
Emily Scott feels her happiest in the mountains. So over the last few years she’s made big changes to her life to enjoy them nearly everyday.
Emily used to be a full-time chartered accountant in London but she’s now a ski instructor in the winter and in the past few summers she’s worked for travel companies hosting treks in the Alps.
In between these seasons she takes on extraordinary endurance
Alex Staniforth: How tragedy on Everest lead to a huge UK adventure
Alex Staniforth is an adventurer, author of two books and speaker who talks so well about how the outdoors has helped him throughout his life.
Alex has been on some serious adventures since he was a teenager, including making two attempts at Everest. Sadly both trips to Everest ended in tragedy.
In 2017, Alex completed his challenge Climb The UK, where he journeyed to the highest point of all 100
Vici Fairhurst: How a trip to Snowdon with 30 teens and staff changed her life
Vici Fairhurst is a hiker who lives in Manchester and works with 16-19 year olds in care.
She discovered a love of hiking in a rather daunting and unusual way.
Last year Vici’s colleague set her a huge challenge: to get 30 teens in care and staff, with little or no hiking experience, to the top of Snowdon.
That trip sparked an ‘addiction to hiking’, as she puts it, and it’s had a huge impact on
Josh Day: Cycling from the UK to China
Josh Day has recently come back to the UK after an epic outdoors adventure. He cycled 26,000km all the way from the UK to Beijing in China!
Travelling through 28 countries, the route took him two years to complete.
Josh used to work in London as a data scientist but a few years ago he decided he needed a change of direction. He certainly got that!
Along his journey, Josh cycled in temperatures as
Iona Rendall: The ‘ordinary adventurer’ motivating thousands to get hiking outdoors
Iona Rendall, also known as @iona.adventuring on Instagram, is a nurse who lives in Edinburgh. In 2018, she set up a walking group on Facebook and it's already grown to over 2,000 members!
I wanted to find out why Iona began hiking and started her walking group, how its impacted her life and why she thinks she’s been able to motivate so many others to get outdoors!
I hope you enjoy the podcast! H
Suzanna swims: Becoming a wild swimming guide in the Lake District
Suzanna Cruickshank is an open water and wild swimming guide in the Lake District.
Suzanna hasn’t always lived in the Lake District or been a wild swimmer - but she’s now managed to turn it into her career.
I went to visit Suzanna in the Lake District and we had a lovely swim in Crummock Water - you can hear a bit of our dip right at the beginning of the episode and towards the end.
She also has
Stuart Watts: Rowing the Atlantic and breaking a world record
My guest today is Stuart Watts - he and three friends hold the world record for the fastest rowing crossing of the Atlantic!
Along with George Biggar, Dicky Taylor and Peter Robinson, Stuart rowed for almost a month from the Canary Islands to the Caribbean, finishing in January 2018. And they raised a HUGE amount for charity - I’ll reveal the figure later on in the podcast!
Stuart had never reall
An Outdoors Family: Stacey and Keith’s Scottish adventures with their kids
Having a young family certainly hasn’t stopped Stacey and Keith Wilcox exploring and having big adventures in the outdoors.
They now take their sons hiking, canoeing and wild camping all around Scotland and have also just come back from an epic 8 week adventure in New Zealand as part of their shared parental leave!
How do they manage to have such an adventurous family life (often on little sleep)
Jess Mather: From the Himalayas to the Lake District
Jess Mather, known as @jessicamather91 on Instagram, is a physical and well being coach in a psychiatric hospital but she spends nearly every spare moment outside of work in the outdoors.
She’s a hiker and trail runner, has bagged over one hundred Wainwrights in the Lake District, and has summited several high altitude mountains around the world, including Kilimanjaro in Tanzania (5,895m) and Stok
Zahrah Mahmood, aka ‘The Hillwalking Hijabi’
Today’s guest is Zahrah Mahmood, known as @the_hillwalking_hijabi on Instagram.
Zahrah is a hiker who lives in Glasgow. She only got into hiking three years ago when a friend took her out for a walk to reduce the stress of her chartered accountant exams.
Since then, the outdoors has transformed her previously city-orientated life.
She now spends dozens of weekends in the hills, highlands and on t
Cooking in the fells with…Fell Foodie aka Harrison Ward
Three years ago Harrison Ward lived in York, was 22 stone and drank around 20 pints a day. He admits that he was deeply depressed, lived a sedentary lifestyle and his drinking was having a huge impact on his life.
Harrison now lives in the Lake District, is passionate about hiking, fell running and wild-camping, he’s sober and has created a buzz around his cooking while in the outdoors.
Steak with
Jessie Leong: The life of an adventure photographer
Adventure photographer Jessie Leong captures people in the outdoors, whether hiking in Switzerland, winter climbing in Snowdonia or at outdoors festivals.
She’s also now a Get Outside champion for Ordnance Survey and encourages more people to have fun in nature.
When she discovered a passion for rock climbing and hiking, Jessie realised that she could combine those activities with her career!
I
Clare Dyson: Adventuring with a dog and pony
Clare Dyson has been fanatical about horses since she was a child. Pony-trekking around the whole of the Lake District was an adventure that Clare had dreamed about for a long time.
In May 2018, having worked relentlessly to get the time off from her job working with the Lake District National Park in community engagement, she made the trip a reality.
Clare trekked and wild camped for a month wit
Rory Southworth: The trail-running outdoors addict
Rory Southworth can often be found jumping over tree roots on a hill run in the Lake District or hopping over rocks on a scramble.
The trail runner, rock climber, hiker and all-round outdoors addict is bubbling with energy and is known for his love of a backwards cap.
Rory has a full-time job as a designer, but uses every available moment outside of work to be in the outdoors adventuring.
He’s kn
Nic Hardy: The hiking adventure club queen
A short walk to the pub with friends was about the extent of IT programme manager Nic Hardy's adventures two years ago.
Today she leads an adventure club of 100 people who go hiking, wild camping, rock climbing in the Lake District most weekends.
She also bagged all 214 Wainwrights in a year!
But how did she do it? What was the spark to make the change? What effect has it had on her life and fin
Ross Bowyer: Bushcraft to Bear Grylls
Watching Bear Grylls drink reindeer blood in northern Norway is just part of the day job for Ross Bowyer.
He’s been working with and advising Bear on his TV shows for nearly nine years.
Ross scouted out the islands off the coast of Panama that contestants try and survive on for The Island with Bear Grylls TV show.
He’s also worked with Ray Mears, been on a remote expedition in the Brazilian rainfo
Annie Ross: How 52 challenges can change a life
Back in 2015 Annie Ross was a banker, restless sitting at a desk all day, but still feeling chained to it.
So she decided to take on 52 challenges in 52 weeks alongside her job.
Ranging from triathlons to swimming in seven lidos in seven days, Annie pushed herself out of her comfort zone and encouraged others to take on the tasks with her.
She had a huge year of experiences and it changed her o
James Michael Forrest, aka ‘Mountain Man’
Five years ago James Michael Forrest had an office job, lived in Birmingham and occasionally went on strolls at the weekend. He admits that he wasn’t a happy man.
Today he’s a record-breaking hiker, having walked all the mountains in England, Wales and Ireland in the quickest ever time. For the record, that is 719 mountains! He’s also now a travel writer and lives in the Lake District.
But how did
Listen to a teaser for The Outdoors Fix
Hi, I’m Liv Bolton. Do you ever sit at your desk wishing you were outside adventuring? If you’re nodding your head, The Outdoors Fix is for you. It’s a podcast to inspire people who want to make adventures outdoors a bigger part of their life!
In this series I speak some incredible people who have lots of tips and advice on how to do it.
Interviewees in this series include:
- James Michael Forres
