Kirsty in her own words:
“I’m a mixed-race freelance mountaineering and climbing instructor from the west coast of Scotland. I love being able to introduce and share so many of the incredible Scottish environments, whether it’s the mountains in full winter conditions or a beautifully still sea with views out to the Hebrides.
Climbing in all forms is pretty much my life but earlier this year I also started mountain biking and roller skating, which are both great fun and very different!
Outside of work and play, I’ve been a member of Oban Mountain Rescue Team since 2013. I’m a callout manager and the Training Officer on the team, and love being able to give something back to the mountaineering community.
I’m the founder of Our Shared Outdoors, an organisation set up to tackle and change the lack of diversity in the outdoors and promote underrepresented groups. I’m really passionate about making outdoor communities as accessible as possible to everyone, because it should be!
I’m also a panellist on On the Outside podcast, where we discuss outdoor news in the UK with a panel of diverse outdoor enthusiasts.”
New episodes of the Tough Girl Podcast go live every Tuesday at 7am UK time - Make sure you hit the subscribe button so you don’t miss out.
The Tough Girl Podcast is sponsorship and ad free thanks to the monthly financial support of patrons. To find out more about supporting your favourite podcast and becoming a patron please visit www.patreon.com/toughgirlpodcast.
Listen to Kirsty Now!
Click here if you can't see the link below.
Show notes
Who is Kirsty
What she does
Her passions and interests
Moving up to Scotland when she was 9 years old
Getting to spend time in the outdoors as a child
Her dreams as a little girl
How she got into outdoor instructing
Doing work experience at an outdoor centre
Becoming a volunteer during the summer holidays
Getting an outdoor education apprenticeship
What was involved in being an apprentice
What she loves about her job
Mixing her passion for the outdoors with her job
Deciding to join the Mountain Rescue Team as a volunteer
What the call out manager does
The stresses of the job
Wanting people to be as prepared as possible for the outdoors
Being a founder of Our Shared Outdoors
Changing the narrative
Call to the Mountains Film (Jan 2020)
The women who inspire Kirsty
Advice for women who want to start doing their qualifications
Summer and Winter Mountain Leader Training
Why we need to go and do it
Being a panelist On the Outside Podcast
The barriers that stop people going outdoors
Struggling with equipment and finding kit to fit
The changes over the past 10 years
How the statics haven’t changed in 30 years
Having a 10% female membership….
Why women are less likely to wing it
Support for women who have children
Dealing with skill fade
Kirsty’s favourite walk/hike up in Scotland
Social Media
Personal - Instagram: @kirstypallas
Facebook: @kirstypallas
Our Shared Outdoors - An organisation working to redefine the outdoor narrative to become inclusive to all.
Join our community by sharing experiences #oursharedoutdoors
Instagram: @oursharedoutdoors
Facebook: @oursharedoutdoors
On the Outside Podcast Launched Summer 2021 - is a UK based news-panel podcast sharing diverse views on outdoors news.
Instagram: @ontheoutsidepod
Facebook: @ontheoutsidepod
Feeling inspired week after week?
You can do 3 easy things to help me continue to grow the podcast!
Subscribe to the podcast in iTunes, so you won’t miss a single episode
If you’re loving the podcast, please leave a 5-star review on iTunes! I read every single comment!
Share the podcast with your friends, especially if you think it could help them, and spread the #ToughGirlPodcast love.
Your support helps me continue to grow the podcast and do inspiring things in this space! Already done all 3? You’re a rockstar! Thank you!
Want to do more?
Please become a Patron and donate US$5 a month to help fund the runnings costs. Thank you.
