Sam Sykes, owner of Mountain School UK, has emphasized the importance of hands-on training for outdoor retail staff, calling it “an absolute must” for the industry.
Based in the Lake District, Mountain School UK offers a wide range of courses—from beginner navigation and scrambling to advanced alpine preparation, including crevasse rescue and avalanche safety. Sykes, a well-respected figure in the outdoor education community, comes from a family with over 50 years of experience delivering the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award and has dedicated his career to outdoor training and development.
At Outdoor and Social 2025, a three-day free training event for outdoor retail staff held in Edale in the Peak District, Sykes and his team led guided hikes and delivered training on hill skills and equipment use. The event, which allows retail staff to gain first-hand experience with the gear they sell, saw significant growth from its inaugural year in 2024.
“I think that an event like this for our industry is an absolute must. You can’t, in my opinion, have retailers selling products in stores without real-world experience of using them,” said Sam Sykes. “The only real way to gain that is by interacting with brands and outdoor professionals in this kind of environment. That builds both knowledge and confidence. We’re seeing retailers coming along lacking confidence, because they’ve not got just a lack of knowledge, but a lack of experience with the product. We’re delivering all of that for them, and they’re going away far better armed to be better in their jobs and better for their customers.”
Reflecting on the 2025 edition, Sykes noted the increase in scale and energy: “It was much bigger—more than double the size of last year. There was a lot of energy, tonnes of brands, and loads of positive feedback. We were fully subscribed for our trail hikes and just managed to fit everyone in!”
The Mountain School team tailored their sessions to each group’s interests—whether navigation, hill skills, or kit use—delivering a flexible and engaging experience.
Beyond the daytime training, the event also featured evening socials in the main marquee, complete with guest speakers, food and drink.
“It was awesome,” said Sykes. “It’s great to have a few drinks with like-minded people. There are always some great conversations about adventures and all sorts of things.”
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