Kate Middleton dons £600 jacket and trusty hiking boots as she kicks off visit to Wales with William

The Princess of Wales looked ready to get in on the action as she made a whirlwind visit to Wales today with husband Prince William.

Kate, 41, and the Prince of Wales, 40, are visiting the South Wales Valleys and Mid Wales over the next two days.

They began their journey this afternoon with a meeting with Central Beacons Mountain Rescue Team, which is celebrating its 60th anniversary this year.

William, patron of Mountain Rescue England and Wales, and Kate will have the opportunity to take part in training activities such as abseiling, medical support exercises and a search dog rescue demonstration.

The Central Beacons Mountain Rescue Team is run entirely by volunteers and has been working since 1963 to keep the communities of Mid and South Wales safe.

The team answer calls 24 hours a day, all year round and cover the central part of Bannau Brycheiniog National Park, which includes Pen y Fan, the highest point in the south of Britain, as well as Ystradfellte Falls, Cardiff, Newport and the Valleys.

During their time with the team, the royal couple will meeting with current volunteers to hear about their roles and experiences conducting rescues, alongside former team members from the organization’s 60-year history.

Later today, the Prince and Princess will visit the nearby Dowlais Rugby Club, where members of the team usually go to relax and socialize.

Within the club, the pair will spend time with mountain rescue volunteers, the organization’s supporters and members of the local community.

On leaving the rugby club they will spend some time meeting the crowd gathered outside.

Before becoming a senior royal at the age of 35, William had a career as an RAF search and rescue pilot. He also worked as a pilot for the East Anglian Air Ambulance.

The Princess of Wales was beaming today as she made a whirlwind visit to Wales with her husband, Prince William

The Princess of Wales arrives to visit the Central Beacons Mountain Rescue Team headquarters in Merthyr Tydfil, Wales

Ready for action! Kate and William looked good in their waterproof gear when they arrived at today’s outing

Meeting with the team! Kate shook hands with the volunteers who work for the rescue team in Wales