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

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