Podcast episodes
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 someone who works with maps, he got in touch!
Liv learnt so much about mapping from the conversation, including how trig points really work!
Rob also shared his orienteering and trail running adventures and tips for fitting more of the outdoors into your every day.
If you enjoy this episode, it would fantastic if you could subscribe. And do tell your family and friends about it – thank you!
The Outdoors Fix is a podcast produced and hosted by Liv Bolton @liv_outsideuk
Episodes in each series are released fortnightly. The next episode will be released on Sunday 24 November.
You can find photos of the guests on Instagram @TheOutdoorsFix
The Outdoors Fix book is out now: http://bit.ly/3GJDLJc
Rob Finch can be found on Instagram @finchinthefield
Rob’s raising money for Keswick Mountain Rescue Team – if you’d like to donate, head to: https://www.justgiving.com/page/robs-bob-keswick-mrt
This episode of The Outdoors Fix is kindly supported by outdoor footwear brand Merrell.
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 just fleeting moments in her busy, urban life.
Just before lockdown she decided to make some big, brave changes. She quit her job, moved to Sheffield and based her life in the Peak District.
Her dog Millie and a new interest in trail running soon followed.
A few years later, Marie now has a career working for outdoors brands and trail running dominates her free time – she’s run the Snowdonia ultramarathon as well as races in the Alps.
Marie’s message is about encouraging us all to take small steps towards our dreams to see where the journey takes us.
If you enjoy this episode, it would fantastic if you could subscribe. And do tell your family and friends about it – thank you!
The Outdoors Fix is a podcast produced and hosted by Liv Bolton @liv_outsideuk
Episodes in each series are released fortnightly. The next episode will be released on Sunday 10 November.
You can find photos of the guests on Instagram @TheOutdoorsFix
The Outdoors Fix book is out now: http://bit.ly/3GJDLJc
This episode of The Outdoors Fix is kindly supported by outdoor footwear brand Merrell.
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 representation in the outdoors.
It was set up in 2020 after the tragic death of his son through knife crime, when Marlon realised how much nature was helping him and that he wanted to engage his community with it too.
We Go Outside Too is based in Birmingham and they offer days out in the countryside, walks, tree planting and outdoor poetry workshops. Transport and kit are often provided and they are supported by brands and organisations, including Merrell.
They’ve organised more than 30 walks so far and engaged more than 1,000 people with their events.
The social enterprise won a Head Outside Award in 2023 at Kendal Mountain Festival – awards which celebrate people or organisations helping people with mental health challenges to get outdoors.
Marlon lives in Birmingham and he took Liv for a walk on Harborne Walkway to record their podcast episode.
Formerly a railway line, it’s now a green, quiet oasis in a bustling, noisy city.
Liv sought to find out why Marlon wanted to engage his community with the outdoors, and what’s been the impact of We Go Outside Too so far?
If you enjoy this episode, it would fantastic if you could subscribe. And do tell your family and friends about it – thank you!
The Outdoors Fix is a podcast produced and hosted by Liv Bolton @liv_outsideuk
Episodes in each series are released fortnightly. The next episode will be released on Sunday 27 October.
You can find photos of the guests on Instagram @TheOutdoorsFix
The Outdoors Fix book is out now: http://bit.ly/3GJDLJc
This episode of The Outdoors Fix is kindly supported by outdoor footwear brand Merrell.
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, travelling through over 80 countries by bicycle, boat and on foot, but more recently he’s focused on spreading the message about embracing the outdoors and adventure where we all live, through his concept of Microadventures.
Al’s latest book, Local, which has been shortlisted for the 2024 Wainwright Prize in the nature writing category, saw him spend a year exploring a map of his neighbourhood – one grid square at a time.
His passion about outdoors adventures that are accessible to all of us and possible within our current routines, is totally infectious and I’ve wanted to chat to him for years, so I hope you enjoy the episode!
The Outdoors Fix is a podcast produced and hosted by Liv Bolton @liv_outsideuk
Episodes in each series are released fortnightly. The next episode will be released on Sunday 13 October.
You can find photos of the guests on Instagram @TheOutdoorsFix
The Outdoors Fix book is out now: http://bit.ly/3GJDLJc
This episode of The Outdoors Fix is kindly supported by outdoor footwear brand Merrell.
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 and medical expertise, she hopes to encourage as many women and girls as possible to get outside to boost their confidence.
Phoebe is also keen to showcase that you can get outdoors and have brilliant adventures even when you have small children.
The Outdoors Fix is a podcast produced and hosted by Liv Bolton @liv_outsideuk
You can find photos of the guests on Instagram @TheOutdoorsFix
The Outdoors Fix book is out now: http://bit.ly/3GJDLJc
This episode of The Outdoors Fix is kindly supported by outdoor footwear brand Merrell.
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 diving under the ice in Finland!
Also known as ‘the Merthyr Mermaid’ (referencing Merthyr Tydfil where she lived), Cath certainly knows about juggling real life to make time for outdoors adventures, and she had so many insights to share when I spoke to her at The Big Retreat Festival in Pembrokeshire.
Don’t miss Cath’s tips for getting started with ice swimming at the end of the episode, as well as a minute of the sounds of nature for a little bit of escapism in your busy day.
Cath’s 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 Cath Pendleton on Instagram @swimcathswim – The Big Retreat Festival is @thebigretreatfestival
You can find photos from our recording on Instagram @TheOutdoorsFix
The Outdoors Fix book is now available: http://bit.ly/3GJDLJc
The audio from the festival was produced by Pete Crouch from Liquid Studios: https://www.linkedin.com/in/petecrouch/
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’, is determined to encourage older women to dismiss age as a barrier to adventure, and to go out and have the time of their lives.
I had a fantastic time chatting to Siobhan in front of an audience at The Big Retreat Festival in Pembrokeshire. It was a conversation that will stay with me and inspire me for years to come.
Siobhan’s 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 Siobhan on Instagram @shuvonshuvoff – The Big Retreat Festival is @thebigretreatfestival
You can find photos from our recording on Instagram @TheOutdoorsFix
The Outdoors Fix book is now available: http://bit.ly/3GJDLJc
The audio from the festival was produced by Pete Crouch from Liquid Studios: https://www.linkedin.com/in/petecrouch/
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 England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Iceland.
Just last month, he paddleboarded across the English Channel in tandem with his adventure partner Joe Cartwright, something that he’d already broken the record for solo.
David’s also made a name for himself in zero-carbon, environmentally-friendly adventures, and he was recognised for this in 2023 when he was named Ocean Activist of the Year by the campaigning charity Surfers Against Sewage.
I spoke to David at the Big Retreat festival in Pembrokeshire in front of a live audience and I heard more about why he feels paddleboarding has helped his rehabilitation after prison, how he got into the sport, and why he’s passionate about encouraging others to have more adventure in their lives.
Don’t miss David’s tips for getting started with paddleboarding and how we can have more environmentally friendly outdoors adventures at the end of the episode, as well as a minute of the sounds of nature from one of my morning walks for a little bit of escapism in your busy day.
David’s 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 David Haze on Instagram @nomadicpaddler 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 from The Big Retreat Festival produced by Pete Crouch at Liquid Studios: https://www.linkedin.com/in/petecrouch/
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 can find photos of the guests on Instagram @TheOutdoorsFix
The Outdoors Fix book is out now: http://bit.ly/3GJDLJc
Carys Rees is @this.girlwalks on Instagram. The Big Retreat Festival is @thebigretreatfestival.
Audio recorded at the festival recorded by Pete Crouch from Liquid Studios.
Feed swap: The Salt Path author Raynor Winn speaks to the Folk on Foot podcast
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 the multi-award winning Folk on Foot podcast where he goes walking with leading folk musicians in beautiful spots that have inspired their music.
I really loved chatting with Matthew and hearing all about how and why he started Folk on Foot, and I’ve devoured each episode over the years. It’s an absolutely stunning podcast, and complete escapism, even if you’re like me and don’t know a huge amount about folk music.
So I’m thrilled that he’s let me share with you one of my favourite episodes of Folk on Foot which I think you’ll love. It’s Matthew’s walk and conversation with the author Raynor Winn, who’s bestselling book, The Salt Path, tells the story of her journey along the 630-mile South West Coast Path with her husband Moth, after they’d become homeless and he’d been diagnosed with a terminal neurodegenerative disease.
Raynor has also been collaborating with the Gigspanner Big Band to create a show which marries her words about the South West and traditional music from the area.
The Outdoors Fix has always been about sharing conversations and inspiration so we can all fit more of the outdoors into our lives – so I hope you enjoy Matthew’s wonderful chat and walk with Raynor and you take away something from it too.
There are dozens of other episodes of Folk on Foot available, recorded all over the country, from Shetland to Port Isaac, and with musicians like Eliza Carthy, Johnny Flynn and Karine Polwart.
One of my favourite episodes is with Sam Lee where he sings among nightingales in Sussex – I’d definitely recommend listening to that one.
Just search for Folk on Foot wherever you get your podcasts, or find them @folkonfoot on social media.
If you’d like to listen to my conversation with Matthew on The Outdoors Fix, where he tells me all about his outdoors life and why he set up Folk on Foot, it’s the episode from July 2020.
And stay tuned for a brand new series of The Outdoors Fix podcast in the next few weeks! Until then, enjoy your adventures outside – we all know it’s the best place there is.
Liv x
The Outdoors Fix is a podcast produced and hosted by Liv Bolton @liv_outsideuk
You can find photos and videos from the recordings on Instagram @TheOutdoorsFix
The Outdoors Fix book is now available: http://bit.ly/3GJDLJc
Folk on Foot team:
Host: Matthew Bannister
Producer: Natalie Steed
Digital marketing manager: Owen Ralph
Liv’s highlights from 5 years of The Outdoors Fix podcast
*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 my guests, but the moments I’ve picked are some of the snippets that have had the biggest impact on me and helped me to make the outdoors a bigger part of MY life.
So if you’d like to listen, head to your podcast platform and I hope you enjoy the episode!
I’d also love to hear what your favourite episode has been and why.
I remember 10 February 2019 very clearly – it was a grey, drizzly day. I shared my first episode and then went on a long walk on the Capital Ring in London with friends to distract and shake off the nerves.
It had taken me weeks to make fitting it around my job, I’d freaked out several times over the recording equipment, and I didn’t know whether anyone other than my family would listen to it…
But ever since my 10-week Te Araroa hike in New Zealand after burning out, and how much better the outdoors made me feel, I’d wanted to learn from the people who knew more about it than me, and share their knowledge.
I hoped that perhaps the podcast could help us motivate and equip EACH OTHER to get outside and experience nature’s power more often.
Via 50+ conversations and episodes recorded all over the British countryside (favourite location so far was hiding from the rain in a sheep barn…), I’ve learnt so much about the outdoors, and I hope you might have taken away something too.
But most of all, I think what I’ve found most valuable from these past 5 years was discovering something incredibly simple – that even just 10 minutes in nature can make things feel better. It’s a tool that I wished I’d known about much, much earlier.
I’ve also learnt that the people who love the outdoors are some of the kindest, most generous and inspirational people I’ve met.
So thank you for all the support for The Outdoors Fix podcast since 2019 and to all my wonderful guests. What a ride it’s been!
Liv x
The Outdoors Fix is a podcast produced and hosted by Liv Bolton @liv_outsideuk
You can find photos of the guests on Instagram @TheOutdoorsFix
The Outdoors Fix book is out now: http://bit.ly/3GJDLJc
Tom Burns: The Knepp rewilding project’s ranger and woodsman
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 life would lead him to a career where he’s up at dawn with the birds, coppicing woodland and protecting ancient trees.
Tom took me for a walk around Knepp – and we saw so much wildlife, including Exmoor ponies, stags, long-horn cattle and buzzards. It’s a truly beautiful place filled with hope about nature and protecting our planet’s biodiversity.
Don’t miss Tom’s suggestions for the best places to see ancient trees at the end of the episode, as well as a minute of the sounds of nature from Knepp for a little bit of escapism in your busy day.
Tom’s 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 can find photos of the guests on Instagram @TheOutdoorsFix
The Outdoors Fix book is out now: http://bit.ly/3GJDLJc
This episode of The Outdoors Fix is kindly supported by outdoor footwear brand Merrell. Merrell are offering listeners of The Outdoors Fix a 20% discount at Merrell.co.uk (One product per person until 31 Dec 2023) Just use the code OUTDOORS20.
Munira Ali: Walking London’s 3,000 parks and green spaces
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 spaces.
Munira’s enthusiasm about walking in London’s parks is utterly infectious so I couldn’t wait to chat to her and hear more about the impact of the outdoors on her life and why she thinks city green spots are so important.
For our walk, Munira took me to Wanstead Park in east London, a beautiful place with ancient woodland, lakes, old ruins, and meadows.
Despite living in London for a decade, I’d never heard of it beforehand – so it summed up for me the endless possibilities of exploring from your doorstep – and how a curiosity about your local area can lead to big adventures.
Munira shares her must visit London parks at the end of the episode, so don’t miss her advice. There’s also a minute of the sounds of nature for a little bit of escapism in your busy day.
Munira’s 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 can find photos of the guests on Instagram @TheOutdoorsFix
The Outdoors Fix book is out now: http://bit.ly/3GJDLJc
This episode of The Outdoors Fix is kindly supported by outdoor footwear brand Merrell. Merrell are offering listeners of The Outdoors Fix a 20% discount at Merrell.co.uk (One product per person until 31 Dec 2023) Just use the code OUTDOORS20.
Sarah Banks: Writing a Wild Guide to North East England
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 Pennines, finding lakes and rivers for swimming to hidden meadows, beaches and ancient ruins.
That sounded so much fun I knew I had to chat to Sarah to find out how she did it, and all the adventures she had along the way, so we went for a walk in Worm Dale in the Yorkshire Wolds together.
Sarah shares her suggestions for her must visit adventure spots in North East England at the end of the episode, so don’t miss her advice. There’s also a minute of the sounds of nature for a little bit of escapism in your busy day.
Sarah’s 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 can find photos of the guests on Instagram @TheOutdoorsFix
The Outdoors Fix book is out now: http://bit.ly/3GJDLJc
This episode of The Outdoors Fix is kindly supported by outdoor footwear brand Merrell. Merrell are offering listeners of The Outdoors Fix a 20% discount at Merrell.co.uk (One product per person until 31 Dec 2023) Just use the code OUTDOORS20.
Katy O’Neill Gutierrez: The mum who set up Blaze Trails, the parent and baby walking community
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 organising walks with friends.
Those initial walks have led to the creation of a network of 56 walking groups around the UK with thousands of parents inspired to get out in nature with their young children.
I went for a walk with Katy by the River Chess in the Chess Valley in Hertfordshire – a beautiful spot with a rare chalk stream. I wanted to find out more about how the outdoors helped her as a new mum, why she wanted to set up Blaze Trails, how she’s grown it to what it’s become today and what it’s been like to make the outdoors into her career.
Katy shares her favourite family walks and hiking with your baby tips at the end of the episode, so don’t miss her advice. There’s also a minute of the sounds of nature for a little bit of escapism in your busy day.
Katy’s 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 can find photos of the guests on Instagram @TheOutdoorsFix
The Outdoors Fix book is out now: http://bit.ly/3GJDLJc
This episode of The Outdoors Fix is kindly supported by outdoor footwear brand Merrell. Merrell are offering listeners of The Outdoors Fix a 20% discount at Merrell.co.uk (One product per person until 31 Dec 2023) Just use the code OUTDOORS20.
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 backpack; to Iran trekking with a mule in a 1930s Burberry mac; and to the Scottish Highlands, wearing a 1940s cotton skirt and hobnail boots.
More recently, Elise took part in Channel 4’s survival series, Alone, where she managed to survive for weeks on her own in the Canadian wilderness.
Elise took me for a walk in Battersea Park in London and we recorded her episode of The Outdoors Fix podcast there.
I wanted to find out what was behind all of Elise’s adventures, how she balances it with her full-time PR job, and what it took to survive for weeks in the Canadian wilderness.
Elise shares her bushcraft and survival tips at the end of the episode, so make sure you don’t miss her advice. There’s also a minute of the sounds of nature for a little bit of escapism in your busy day.
Elise’s 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 can find photos of the guests on Instagram @TheOutdoorsFix
The Outdoors Fix book is out now: http://bit.ly/3GJDLJc
This episode of The Outdoors Fix is kindly supported by outdoor footwear brand Merrell. Merrell are offering listeners of The Outdoors Fix a 20% discount at Merrell.co.uk (One product per person until 31 Dec 2023) Just use the code OUTDOORS20.
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 black female mountain leaders in the UK and she’s on course with her training to be the only black female winter mountain leader.
Carla took me to a beautiful park just minutes from her home in London, and we recorded the episode sitting on the grass within sight of a herd of fallow deer.
Someone who’s unafraid of following her heart, Carla’s story left me feeling inspired about having courage to follow your dreams at any age, and the impact of contributing to the outdoors community.
Carla shares her tips for lesser-known spots to explore around the UK at the end of the episode, as well as how to start out and secure work if you’re interested in becoming a mountain leader, so make sure you don’t miss her advice. There’s also a minute of the sounds of nature for a little bit of escapism in your busy day.
Carla’s 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 can find photos of the guests on Instagram @TheOutdoorsFix
The Outdoors Fix book is out now: http://bit.ly/3GJDLJc
This episode of The Outdoors Fix is kindly supported by outdoor footwear brand Merrell. Merrell are offering listeners of The Outdoors Fix a 20% discount at Merrell.co.uk (One product per person until 31 Dec 2023) Just use the code OUTDOORS20.
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 trying to give people the confidence to safely plan their own outdoors adventures.
Having worked for Nottingham City Council since she was 18, it wasn’t until her 40s that Emma took the big leap to shift the direction of her career and life towards the outdoors. Her story proves that it’s never too late to pursue your passion.
Emma took me for a stunning hike on the eastern edge of the Peak District for this episode and we recorded it sat on the grass in the shade of some birch trees. It was a fascinating conversation about turning the outdoors into a career and how it can positively influence the path of your life.
Emma shares her tips for becoming a mountain leader and where to go walking in the Peak District at the end of the episode, so make sure you don’t miss her advice. There’s also a minute of the sounds of nature for a little bit of escapism in your busy day.
Emma’s episode of The Outdoors Fix is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever else you get your podcasts. I hope you enjoy it!
Liv x
The Outdoors Fix is a podcast produced and hosted by Liv Bolton @liv_outsideuk
You can find photos of the guests on Instagram @TheOutdoorsFix
The Outdoors Fix book is now available to pre-order: http://bit.ly/3GJDLJc
This episode of The Outdoors Fix is kindly supported by outdoor footwear brand Merrell.
Merrell are offering listeners of The Outdoors Fix a 20% off discount on their shoes at Merrell.co.uk So just use the code FIX20 which is valid on all full price items on their website.
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-founder of the community swimming group, Soul Swimmers. Set up in 2020, the group aims to encourage more women from diverse backgrounds to take up swimming, particularly outdoors in open water. Debbie’s based in London and she’s also a triathlete who has competed for Team GB in the World Championships for triathlon in her age category of 60-64!
Debbie and I met back in the summer and chatted by the shores of the West Reservoir in London, an open water swimming reservoir. I wanted to find out how Debbie found her love of open water swimming, what sparked the idea to set up Soul Swimmers, and why she’s determined to see more women from diverse backgrounds enjoying a dip outdoors.
Debbie shares her tips for open water swimming at the end of the episode, so make sure you don’t miss her advice. There’s also a minute of the sounds of nature at the end for a little bit of escapism in your busy day.
Debbie’s episode of The Outdoors Fix is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever else you get your podcasts. I hope you enjoy it!
Liv x
The Outdoors Fix is a podcast produced and hosted by Liv Bolton @liv_outsideuk
You can find photos of the guests on Instagram @TheOutdoorsFix
The Outdoors Fix book is now available to pre-order: http://bit.ly/3GJDLJc
This episode of The Outdoors Fix is kindly supported by outdoor footwear brand Merrell.
Merrell are offering listeners of The Outdoors Fix a 20% off discount on their shoes at Merrell.co.uk So just use the code FIX20 which is valid on all full price items on their website.
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 Kate set it up a couple of years ago.
The group offers everything from weekly walks around London and bouldering through to hikes in Surrey and the Chilterns, and wild weekends in Snowdonia, the Peak District and South Downs. There are trips abroad in the works too.
With so many events on offer, Kate, who is now a qualified lowland walk leader and hiking guide, has created a big buzz around the community and she’s opening up adventure to hundreds of women. As someone who defines herself as queer, she emphasises that the group is open to all women, particularly those in the LGBTQIA+ community & women of colour.
Kate and I met back in the summer and chatted in Ashridge Estate in the Chilterns, only about 10 minutes from where I grew up! I wanted to find out what sparked the idea to set up her adventure community, how Kate runs it and how it’s profoundly changing her life.
Kate shares her tips for getting outdoors more and great places to explore in London at the end of the episode, so make sure you don’t miss her advice. There’s also a minute of the sounds of nature at the end for a little bit of escapism in your busy day.
Kate’s episode of The Outdoors Fix is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever else you get your podcasts. I hope you enjoy it!
Liv x
The Outdoors Fix is a podcast produced and hosted by Liv Bolton @liv_outsideuk
You can find photos of the guests on Instagram @TheOutdoorsFix
The Outdoors Fix book is now available to pre-order: http://bit.ly/3GJDLJc
This episode of The Outdoors Fix is kindly supported by outdoor footwear brand Merrell.
Merrell are offering listeners of The Outdoors Fix a 20% off discount on their shoes at Merrell.co.uk So just use the code FIX20 which is valid on all full price items on their website.
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 and endurance athlete from Yorkshire who set the record in 2021 for the fastest solo and unsupported continuous round of the Wainwrights in the Lake District. He managed to climb all the 214 Wainwright fells and walk in between them in just 11 days, 10 hours and 58 minutes. The fastest known time for the 325-mile feat during which he also carried all his own food and equipment. Chris tackled the endurance challenge to raise money for the military community and charity Walking with the Wounded.
I loved chatting to Chris about his challenge when we went for a walk together on the Pennine Way in the Peak District. But what I found equally fascinating was the mental resilience approach he uses to get through difficult moments in life and big physical challenges. A mnemonic called MINDSET. It’s something that I found incredibly useful and inspirational to hear about and I think you might too. You may not be focused on setting a Wainwright record like Chris, but his techniques might just help you with whatever outdoors challenge or goals you’d like to pursue.
So listen to the episode to find out what MINDSET stands for and how Chris used it to help him complete his Wainwright record-setting round.
Don’t forget to listen out for Chris’ endurance challenge tips at the end of the episode as well as the minute of sounds of nature to bring a bit of escapism into your busy day.
Chris’ episode of The Outdoors Fix is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever else you get your podcasts. I hope you enjoy it!
Liv x
The Outdoors Fix is a podcast produced and hosted by Liv Bolton @liv_outsideuk
You can find photos of the guests on Instagram @TheOutdoorsFix
The Outdoors Fix book is now available to pre-order: http://bit.ly/3GJDLJc
This episode of The Outdoors Fix is kindly supported by outdoor footwear brand Merrell.
Merrell are offering listeners of The Outdoors Fix a 20% off discount on their shoes at Merrell.co.uk So just use the code FIX20 which is valid on all full price items on their website.
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 founder of Vicky Bikes, her business offering bike mechanic and cycling sessions.
Her mission is “to enable people of all ages and backgrounds to find pockets of adventure within the boundaries of everyday life.”
Listen to the episode to find out her tips for adding more adventure into your weekly routine. You’ll also hear why she moved from city PR to mountain biking and setting up her own biking business, as well as how nature and being outdoors helped her through a very difficult couple of decades in her life.
Vicky took me mountain biking in the Kent countryside for this episode and we recorded it in the middle of a wood! It was such a great morning and an absolute highlight of my years recording The Outdoors Fix.
She shares her tips for mountain biking routes and getting outdoors at the end of the episode, so make sure you don’t miss her advice. There’s also a minute of the sounds of nature at the end for a little bit of escapism in your busy day.
I hope you enjoy the episode and please feel free to rate and review it, or tell your friends about it!
Liv x
The Outdoors Fix is a podcast produced and hosted by Liv Bolton @liv_outsideuk
You can find photos of the guests on Instagram @TheOutdoorsFix
The Outdoors Fix book is now available to pre-order: http://bit.ly/3GJDLJc
This episode of The Outdoors Fix is kindly supported by outdoor footwear brand Merrell.
Merrell are offering listeners of The Outdoors Fix a 20% off discount on their shoes at Merrell.co.uk So just use the code FIX20 which is valid on all full price items on their website.
Sharnee Gardner: From modelling for Vogue to life as a professional gardener
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.
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 transformed her life to become a professional gardener!
I met up with Sharnee in Painshill Park in Surrey – where she was a gardener at the time.
I was so intrigued by her story and wanted to find out what drove her to push her modelling career to the side to focus on the outdoors and nature, and how she made the jump to gardening.
I hope you enjoy this episode of The Outdoors Fix and don’t forget to listen out for Sharnee’s fantastic tips and advice for those interested in a gardening or conservation career, or just how we can bring a bit more nature into our lives!
Also don’t miss the sounds of nature at the end of this podcast episode for a short, calming escape from your busy day.
Liv x
The Outdoors Fix is a podcast produced and hosted by Liv Bolton @liv_outsideuk
You can find photos of the guests on Instagram @TheOutdoorsFix
This episode of The Outdoors Fix was supported by outdoor footwear brand Merrell. Merrell is launching a year-long campaign called #StepFurther to encourage people from all walks of life to get outdoors on a micro-adventure to experience the benefits for both their physical and mental health.
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 pandemic.
Kumbi is a nurse and rock climbing became her much-needed escape from the huge stresses of working on the front line of the NHS.
Having seen how much rock climbing has given to her, Kumbi is also keen to encourage other people into the sport and to make it more inclusive.
I met up with Kumbi for a lovely walk in Charlecote Park, a National Trust house and deer park in Warwickshire, not far from where she lives.
I wanted to find out from her why she loves rock climbing so much, why she’s trying to get so many other people into it and why the outdoors and rock climbing helped her while being a nurse in the Covid-19 pandemic.
I hope you enjoy this episode of The Outdoors Fix and don’t forget to listen out for Kumbi’s tips and advice for those interested in rock climbing or making the outdoors a bigger part of your life!
Also don’t miss the sounds of the sea at the end of this podcast episode for a short, calming escape from your busy day.
Liv x
The Outdoors Fix is a podcast produced and hosted by Liv Bolton @liv_outsideuk
You can find photos of the guests on Instagram @TheOutdoorsFix
This episode of The Outdoors Fix was supported by outdoor footwear brand Merrell. Merrell is launching a year-long campaign called #StepFurther to encourage people from all walks of life to get outdoors on a micro-adventure to experience the benefits for both their physical and mental health.
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 Search and Rescue, a part-time teacher, landscape photographer and mountain leader. Over the years, she’s managed to create a portfolio life and career that enables her to spend a lot of her time in the beautiful mountains that surround her home town.
I travelled to Snowdonia for a walk with Helen and she took me to a beautiful lake in a very quiet part of the National Park. It was a gloriously sunny, hot day and we recorded the episode sat on the shores of Llyn Cynwch.
I wanted to find out from Helen how she’d managed to create this life for herself, what the reality is like as well as what mountain rescue volunteering and landscape photography involves.
I hope you enjoy this episode of The Outdoors Fix and don’t forget to listen out for Helen’s tips and advice for those interested in becoming a mountain rescue volunteer or landscape photographer.
Also don’t miss the birdsong at the end of this podcast episode for a short, calming escape from your busy day.
Liv x
The Outdoors Fix is a podcast produced and hosted by Liv Bolton @liv_outsideuk
You can find photos of the guests on Instagram @TheOutdoorsFix
This episode of The Outdoors Fix was supported by outdoor footwear brand Merrell. Merrell is launching a year-long campaign called #StepFurther to encourage people from all walks of life to get outdoors on a micro-adventure to experience the benefits for both their physical and mental health.
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 in hospitality and retail in between trips to finance them.
But five years ago, he found out he had testicular cancer. Going through that experience led to changes in his relationship with the outdoors and adventure goals.
He’s now a qualified mountain leader, leading groups and courses in Snowdonia and he’s also focused on family, creating outdoor adventures with his two young sons.
In the summer, I met up for a beautiful walk with Jack in Llangollen in North Wales, where he now lives. I was keen to hear all about his outdoors story but particularly how getting outside helped him cope with his illness as well as how he’s now shaping an adventurous life for his family in the UK.
I hope you enjoy this episode of The Outdoors Fix and don’t forget to listen out for Jack’s tips and advice for those interested in becoming a mountain leader or making the outdoors a bigger part of your life!
Also don’t miss the birdsong at the end of this podcast episode for a short, calming escape from your busy day.
Liv x
If you’re affected by any of the issues in this episode, there are links to help and support on The Outdoors Fix website.
The Outdoors Fix is a podcast produced and hosted by Liv Bolton @liv_outsideuk
You can find photos of the guests on Instagram @TheOutdoorsFix
This episode of The Outdoors Fix was supported by outdoor footwear brand Merrell. Merrell is launching a year-long campaign called #StepFurther to encourage people from all walks of life to get outdoors on a micro-adventure to experience the benefits for both their physical and mental health.
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 many had. A big running adventure like that would be a good reason to quit her job, she thought.
Scoot to 2016 and Elise became the first woman and youngest person to run around the coast of Britain. A distance of 5,000 miles (!). She’s now written a book, Coasting, about that epic adventure.
I met Elise for a walk in Leigh Woods near Bristol on a warm but blustery day in August. I wanted to find out what it really takes to get to the start line of a huge challenge like hers, how her body coped covering up to 40 miles a day, and what life has been like since she stopped running around the coast. Post-adventure life is a part of the story that we don’t often hear about.
Elise is keen to share the message that anyone can go on a big adventure, you just have to be the one who actually does it.
I hope you enjoy this episode of The Outdoors Fix and don’t forget to listen out for Elise’s tips and advice for those interested in trail running or making the outdoors a bigger part of your life!
Also don’t miss the birdsong at the end of this podcast episode for a short, calming escape from your busy day.
Liv x
The Outdoors Fix is a podcast produced and hosted by Liv Bolton @liv_outsideuk
You can find photos of the guests on Instagram @TheOutdoorsFix
This episode of The Outdoors Fix was supported by outdoor footwear brand Merrell. Merrell is launching a year-long campaign called #StepFurther to encourage people from all walks of life to get outdoors on a micro-adventure to experience the benefits for both their physical and mental health.
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.
In this episode, Frankie speaks incredibly powerfully about how the outdoors helped her in her darkest times as she came to terms with the changes in her life.
She’s taken up trail wheeling all over the UK (think trail running but in a wheelchair) and she recently completed a half marathon!
Frankie’s new mission is to inspire other wheelchair users to get outside and explore nature. She also wants the outdoors community to help make the British countryside more accessible.
Frankie Butler’s story truly sums up the power of the outdoors – a place that can give hope and joy even amid the most difficult of circumstances.
I hope you enjoy this episode of The Outdoors Fix and don’t forget to listen out for Frankie’s tips and advice for those interested in trail wheeling, or just how we can bring a bit more nature into our lives!
Also don’t miss the birdsong at the end of this podcast episode for a short, calming escape from your busy day.
Liv x
The Outdoors Fix is a podcast produced and hosted by Liv Bolton @liv_outsideuk
You can find photos of the guests on Instagram @TheOutdoorsFix
This episode of The Outdoors Fix was supported by outdoor footwear brand Merrell. Merrell is launching a year-long campaign called #StepFurther to encourage people from all walks of life to get outdoors on a micro-adventure to experience the benefits for both their physical and mental health.
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 to show how nature can help mental health. She’s also the founder of Movement and the Mind – a conference exploring the connection between mind, body and planet.
The outdoors has played a pivotal role throughout Lucy and her family’s life, most importantly because of her father’s struggles with severe depression.
She’s determined to spread the message about why if you get moving outdoors in nature, the benefits to your mental wellbeing can be profound.
The Outdoors Fix is a podcast produced and hosted by Liv Bolton @liv_outsideuk
This episode of The Outdoors Fix was supported by outdoor footwear brand Merrell. Merrell is launching a year-long campaign called #StepFurther to encourage people from all walks of life to get outdoors on a micro-adventure to experience the benefits for both their physical and mental health.
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 sled for over 6 weeks and travelling 700miles on her own.
While her training for the Antarctica mission recently has included pulling tyres around London parks, it has also taken her to Norway, Iceland and Greenland.
But Preet is not a professional adventurer – she had little expedition experience until a couple of years ago and she fits her adventures around her job in the Army.
She’s determined to inspire people to push their boundaries, particularly women from diverse backgrounds, by showing how the outdoors can help achieve big dreams.
The Outdoors Fix is a podcast produced and hosted by Liv Bolton @liv_outsideuk
This episode of The Outdoors Fix was supported by outdoor footwear brand Merrell. Merrell is launching a year-long campaign called #StepFurther to encourage people from all walks of life to get outdoors on a micro-adventure to experience the benefits for both their physical and mental health.
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 he hasn’t looked back.
He’s now summited over 200 Munros, climbing 40 of them in just one week; hiked the West Highland Way and summited the three highest peaks in North Africa. He also joined a walking group which led to him meeting his partner Nikki and starting a family.
Getting outside has truly helped Jamie’s mental and physical transition from a sport that so dominated his life.
Jamie and I met 18 months ago on a group walk on Blencathra in the Lake District. He started telling me about his story then, and I’ve wanted to get him on the podcast ever since!
The Outdoors Fix is a podcast produced and hosted by Liv Bolton @liv_outsideuk
This episode of The Outdoors Fix was supported by outdoor footwear brand Merrell. Merrell is launching a year-long campaign called #StepFurther to encourage people from all walks of life to get outdoors on a micro-adventure to experience the benefits for both their physical and mental health.
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 camping trip in the Lake District in May 2018, she made the huge decision of moving her life and job to the countryside.
Plans like these can often take years to pull off, but extraordinarily Laura managed to do it all within 2 months and by July 2018 she was working and living there!
I met Laura at her new home near the village of Wennington in Lancashire, 20 miles from the Lake District, where she is converting an old barn with her partner Chris. They are hoping to turn it into their own smallholding and complete their countryside dream.
I wanted to find out more about why Laura wanted to move from Essex to the Lake District, how she made it happen when moves like these can seem incredibly daunting, her outdoorsy life, and what it’s like doing the postal round in the Langdale Valley!
The Outdoors Fix is a podcast produced and hosted by Liv Bolton @liv_outsideuk
It is proudly supported by Ellis Brigham Mountain Sports – stores nationwide and online offering everything you need to equip you for the best outdoors experience.
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 then took her to Dartmoor. She became hooked on hiking.
Oge’s now often found exploring London’s lesser known green spaces and championing the city as a place where you can still enjoy nature, as well as encouraging other black women to join her hikes and diversify the outdoors.
I met up with Oge near her home in Enfield in north London and we went on a 9 mile walk together to Epping Forest – a beautiful ancient woodland on the edge of the city. I live in London too, so this was a lovely local route that I’m definitely going to do again!
I wanted to find out more about Oge’s outdoors life, how she fits hiking around work as a project manager, how she got involved in Black Girls Hike and why she’s thinks the outdoors has had such a powerful impact on her life.
The Outdoors Fix is a podcast produced and hosted by Liv Bolton @liv_outsideuk
It is proudly supported by Ellis Brigham Mountain Sports – stores nationwide and online offering everything you need to equip you for the best outdoors experience.
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 cows, pigs and chickens.
In his new book English Pastoral, James passionately calls for farming to become more sustainable and nature-friendly. He speaks about how in the past 50 years, technology and fertilisers used on farms have had a hugely detrimental effect on nature and wildlife.
So he’s been changing the way he manages his land, by planting more hedgerows and trees in his fields, abandoning fertilisers, building ponds, allowing the river to flood some of his farmland and focusing on the health of his soil.
His efforts are paying off and he’s seeing a wonderful return of wildlife to his farm, including more otters, fish, herons, wetland birds, insects and wildflowers.
While the outdoors has been a pretty constant feature in his life, James is now making nature and wildlife a bigger part of it.
I spent a morning with James exploring his beautiful farm and seeing the changes he’s implementing – we then recorded the episode in an old sheep barn!
I wanted to find out more about James’ outdoors life, the realities of being a farmer and shepherd, and why he thinks it’s so important to have nature thriving alongside farming.
The Outdoors Fix is a podcast produced and hosted by Liv Bolton @liv_outsideuk
It is proudly supported by Ellis Brigham Mountain Sports – stores nationwide and online offering everything you need to equip you for the best outdoors experience.
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 conservation projects.
But his current life is a complete transformation from what it was a few years ago.
Tolga grew up in south London and admits that he got involved with gang culture and left school with poor grades
He then trained to be an electrical engineer and spent years working in a 9-5 job in London.
I travelled to Highnam Woods, near where Tolga’s now living in Gloucestershire, to find out how he completely changed his life and career.
The Outdoors Fix is a podcast produced and hosted by Liv Bolton @liv_outsideuk
It is proudly supported by Ellis Brigham Mountain Sports – stores nationwide and online offering everything you need to equip you for the best outdoors experience.
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 motorised wheelchair that can take her over hills and up mountains!
I travelled to Nateby in Cumbria to meet Debbie and we went for a walk in the hills near her farm house. I wanted to hear about the journey to her current outdoors life, her 190 mile coast-to-coast adventure in her wheelchair, and how she thinks the countryside can become more accessible.
Debbie’s is a story of extraordinary resilience and determination – and the power of the outdoors.
The Outdoors Fix is a podcast produced and hosted by Liv Bolton @liv_outsideuk
It is proudly supported by Ellis Brigham Mountain Sports – stores nationwide and online offering everything you need to equip you for the best outdoors experience.
Rehna Yaseen: Life as an outdoors instructor in the Peak District
Imagine getting to take teenagers hiking, canoeing and winter climbing in Scotland 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 based in the Peak District.
I travelled to the Hollowford Centre in Castleton in the Peak District to meet Rehna and we also took a hike up Mam Tor together.
Having only gone on her first hike aged 16, I wanted to find out how Rehna came to be an outdoors instructor and youth worker, what it’s really like to lead teenagers on adventures in the outdoors and why she thinks it’s important that women like her are visible in the outdoors community.
The Outdoors Fix is a podcast produced and hosted by Liv Bolton @liv_outsideuk
It is proudly supported by Ellis Brigham Mountain Sports – stores nationwide and online offering everything you need to equip you for the best outdoors experience.
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 rock climbing. And for the past couple of years, Gilly has gone wild swimming every day in January to raise money for the mental health charity Mind. She’s even swum in lakes covered by ice!
It’s all a long way away from her previous life working in corporate business in New York.
I wanted to ask Gilly about how she navigated her way to an outdoors life and career, why she loves ice swimming so much and how the outdoors has helped her during two unbelievably difficult moments in her life.
The Outdoors Fix is a podcast produced and hosted by Liv Bolton @liv_outsideuk
It is proudly supported by Ellis Brigham Mountain Sports – stores nationwide and online offering everything you need to equip you for the best outdoors experience.
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 Bay in northwestern Scotland to Port Isaac in Cornwall and he’s had some spine-tingling encounters with wildlife during some of his recordings.
Why did Matthew want to move his work outdoors? How did he did it? And why has walking been so important to him throughout difficult periods of his life?
The Outdoors Fix is a podcast produced and hosted by Liv Bolton @liv_outsideuk
It is proudly supported by Ellis Brigham Mountain Sports – stores nationwide and online offering everything you need to equip you for the best outdoors experience.
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 she calls them) towards a more outdoorsy career and life.
Those small moves forward have led her to taking up micro adventures after work, new outdoor hobbies, filming a documentary about a paddle boarding record and working for the Bear Grylls Survival Academy.
Frit is a British Chinese lesbian and she’s also passionate about trying to help other people in marginalised groups feel that the outdoors is for them too.
I hope you enjoy this episode and Frit’s story. Listen out for her tips for an outdoorsy life and don’t forget that at the end of the podcast there’s the relaxing minute of sounds from nature, recorded by some of you!
The Outdoors Fix is a podcast produced and hosted by Liv Bolton @liv_outsideuk
It is proudly supported by Ellis Brigham Mountain Sports – stores nationwide and online offering everything you need to equip you for the best outdoors experience.