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 reached millions and is redefining what it can mean to go for a walk in nature. Their message? Hiking doesn’t have to be intense or hardcore. You can take it slow, go at your own pace, and still reap all the benefits of being outdoors.

Emily and Lucy, who live in Manchester and the Peak District, credit their time hiking together with deepening their friendship, helping with grief, and sparking a vibrant online and real-life community through their group walks.

Liv joined them for a gentle hike to learn more about the women behind the movement — and why they believe soft hiking is appealing for so many right now.

We hope you enjoy the conversation — and a big thank you to Emily and Lucy!

The Outdoors Fix is a podcast produced and hosted by Liv Bolton @liv_outsideuk

This episode of The Outdoors Fix is kindly supported by outdoor footwear brand Merrell.

If you enjoy this episode, it would fantastic if you could subscribe. And do tell your family and friends about it - thank you!

You can find photos of the guests on Instagram @TheOutdoorsFix

The Outdoors Fix book is out now: http://bit.ly/3GJDLJc

The post Soft Girls Who Hike: Meet Emily and Lucy, the women behind the #softhiking viral trend appeared first on The Outdoors Fix.

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 nature.

Think waterproofs, sleeping bags, rucksacks, walking boots — all donated, and all making a world of difference.

Fran’s passion for the outdoors comes from a deeply personal place. And living in social housing and experiencing the realities of life on benefits, Fran knows just how expensive outdoor gear can be — and how that cost can be a major barrier to getting outside safely and confidently.

So, in 2020, she set up Kitsquad — turning generosity into access, and tackling gear poverty head-on.

Liv joined Fran for a walk near her home in Shropshire. It started off a little soggy— but they dried off inside the Kitsquad warehouse, surrounded by shelves of donated jackets, boots, sleeping bags, and stories.

Wanting to hear more about what inspired Fran to start the charity, Liv also asked why she’s so passionate about breaking down the cost barriers to the outdoors.

We hope you enjoy this episode and a big thank you to Fran and the volunteers of Kitsquad too!

Please be aware that there’s a discussion around a period of difficult mental health in it, so you can find more information and support on the Mind or Samaritans websites.

The Outdoors Fix is a podcast produced and hosted by Liv Bolton @liv_outsideuk

This episode of The Outdoors Fix is kindly supported by outdoor footwear brand Merrell.

If you enjoy this episode, it would fantastic if you could subscribe. And do tell your family and friends about it - thank you!

You can find photos of the guests on Instagram @TheOutdoorsFix

The Outdoors Fix book is out now: http://bit.ly/3GJDLJc

The post How Kitsquad’s Fran Pearson helped nearly 5,000 people in poverty to access outdoors gear appeared first on The Outdoors Fix.

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 presenter on CBeebies’ Teeny Tiny Creatures and has reported for BBC Springwatch.

Chantelle’s mission is to get young people and underrepresented communities engaged with nature and the outdoors. She’s also a huge advocate for urban green spaces.

Walking through the wood, Liv wanted to find out more about Chantelle’s love of nature, what her work in Sydenham Hill Wood involves and how she’s trying to make the outdoors more inclusive and accessible.

We hope you enjoy this episode and a big thank you to Chantelle too!

The Outdoors Fix is a podcast produced and hosted by Liv Bolton @liv_outsideuk

This episode of The Outdoors Fix is kindly supported by outdoor footwear brand Merrell.

If you enjoy this episode, it would be fantastic if you could subscribe. And do tell your family and friends about it - thank you!

You can find photos of the guests on Instagram @TheOutdoorsFix

The Outdoors Fix book is out now: http://bit.ly/3GJDLJc

The post Chantelle Lindsay: The wildlife conservationist who loves urban hiking appeared first on The Outdoors Fix.

The Outdoors Fix is a podcast to inspire you to make the outdoors a bigger part of your life.

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 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.

The post The Outdoors Fix throwback: Carla Khouri, the outdoors trailblazer appeared first on The Outdoors Fix.

The Outdoors Fix is a podcast to inspire you to make the outdoors a bigger part of your life.

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 Place of Tides.

James lives in the Matterdale Valley near Ullswater in the Lake District and his family has farmed in that stunning area for hundreds of years. He owns a large flock of Herdwick sheep, some belted Galloway cows, pigs and chickens.

While the outdoors has been a pretty constant feature in his life, James is now making wildlife a bigger part of it through his calls for farming to become more sustainable and nature friendly.

The post The Outdoors Fix throwback: James Rebanks, author and shepherd appeared first on The Outdoors Fix.

The Outdoors Fix is a podcast to inspire you to make the outdoors a bigger part of your life.

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 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.” So packing adventures outdoors around your everyday life.

Vicky took me mountain biking in the Kent countryside for this episode and we recorded it in the middle of a wood! It turned out to be one of the most powerful and extraordinary stories I’ve ever heard during my years recording The Outdoors Fix.

The post The Outdoors Fix throwback: Vicky Balfour’s ‘pockets of adventure’ appeared first on The Outdoors Fix.

The Outdoors Fix is a podcast to inspire you to make the outdoors a bigger part of your life.

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 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. Now you’ll often find her in the Peak District leading groups on hikes, teaching navigation or wild camping in the hills. Emma’s story proves that it’s never too late to pursue your passion.

The post The Outdoors Fix throwback: Mountain leader Emma Holland appeared first on The Outdoors Fix.

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 remote Scottish Islands to ones hidden away in the Highlands, it was a unique adventure.

On their walk, Juls also opened up about her schizophrenia diagnosis, something she’s not spoken about publicly before, and why she wants to break the stigma around the mental illness.

Juls is now part way through her new challenge - visiting 100 Scottish islands.

What’s behind these challenges and why is Juls encouraging others to create their own original adventures?

The Outdoors Fix is a podcast produced and hosted by Liv Bolton @liv_outsideuk

If you enjoy this episode, it would fantastic if you could subscribe. And do tell your family and friends about it - thank you!

This is the final episode of series nine - but don’t fret! There are more than 60 episodes to delve into in our archive.

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.

For information and support around the topics in this episode, head to the Mind or Samaritans websites.

The post Juls Stodel: A journey to 104 bothies and 100 Scottish islands appeared first on The Outdoors Fix.

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

This episode of The Outdoors Fix is kindly supported by outdoor footwear brand Merrell.

The post Robert Finch: The orienteer and trail runner working for Ordnance Survey in the Cotswolds appeared first on The Outdoors Fix.

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.

The post Marie Cheng: Leaving London life for the outdoors and trail running appeared first on The Outdoors Fix.