Have Your Say in the First Big Irish Outdoor Survey
Tough Soles has launched the first Big Irish Outdoor Survey to discover how people enjoy Ireland’s outdoors, and what could make nature more accessible.
How do people across Ireland spend time outdoors, and what could make nature more accessible to everyone? Tough Soles wants to hear from you.
Fill Out The Survey
Whether you’re in the mountains every weekend, occasionally visit your favourite swimming spot or simply enjoy walking close to home, the first Big Irish Outdoor Survey is inviting you to share your experiences.
Created by outdoor adventurers and filmmakers Ellie Berry and Carl Lange of Tough Soles, the survey aims to build a clearer picture of Ireland’s outdoor community: what people do, where they go and what could help more of us access nature sustainably.
The survey contains 20 questions divided across five sections. It is completely anonymous, with no names or email addresses collected, and participants can skip any question they would prefer not to answer.
Speaking about the motivation behind the project, Ellie said that spending time outside makes life feel richer, offering everything from headspace and inspiration to physical challenges and meaningful time with friends and family.
The plan is for the Big Irish Outdoor Survey to become an annual project, helping to track how people engage with Ireland’s outdoors and identify the obstacles that may be preventing others from taking part.
Who are Tough Soles?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=12X6-7oiE1g
Tough Soles is a collaboration between Ellie Berry and Carl Lange, who have spent years exploring and documenting Ireland’s landscapes.
Between 2017 and 2019, the pair walked more than 4,000km along every National Waymarked Trail in Ireland. In 2023, Ellie climbed all 275 mountains on the Vandeleur-Lynam list in just 51 days, setting a new national record at the time.
More recently, Tough Soles collaborated with Outsider on a short film documenting Ellie’s extraordinary Vandeleur-Lynams project.
Through their films, writing and outdoor projects, Ellie and Carl hope to help more people discover their own place in nature. The Big Irish Outdoor Survey is the next step in that mission—and you don’t need to consider yourself an experienced adventurer to contribute.
The survey is open until the end of September 2026.
Fill Out The Survey
Complete the Big Irish Outdoor Survey here.
For more information, email ellie@toughsoles.ie or follow Tough Soles on Instagram.