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Only for the sports leisure side of the market; the gnarly mountaineering side would probably turn its nose up at such airy-fairy nonsense...

I agree to a certain extent, but there are lots of people out there that go walking that would like it. Generally people from Surrey I agree but all the same there is a market for it. Not everyone that loves the outdoors enjoys hanging off a cliff in -20C

I still don't get what flashing lights etc in a shop will do for sales. Something more hippy-fied (you know what I mean!) would be much more suitable, someone how they'd been doing the whole ethical thing years before anyone else jumped on the bandwagon. I'd walk straight back out of something with light boxes on the wall but given a nice serene environment with a fairtrade latte bar and I'd be happy to peruse for a while!

Hi Rachel, am happy to help with your project and I've been called a kit fondler on more than one occasion

My first point of call on the shopping front is Cotswold Outdoor Rock Bottom in BYC in North Wales. I am out all year so if I can save money on winter stuff being sold off cheap in the summer etc then I will always take advantage of that first.

Then I'd say the normal Cotswold outdoor stores as there's one near my work. For pricey items I will always check on line before buying and I tend to find the upper market kind of stuff I want in Snow and Rock.

What entices me: Discounts, range of goods (espcieally for women as there isn't always a good range but that's another paper!), and shop staff knowledge.

Shopping experiences that have stood out:

1) I went to buy some new summer boots in a shop in London and I thought the bloke wouldn't know his onions because it was London and he was about 12 years old but the man fitted me with the best pair of boots I've ever had.

2) I had a pair of gloves from a top brand that fell apart after two wears and they didn't believe me and sent them to the lab to be tested and even then wouldn't give me my money back but gave me a credit note - never shopped there since.

Thanks Lindsay, I expect it to need more concentration indeed. My CMD Arete day was in glorious winter sunshine, not a cloud in the bluest of blue skies with lots of lovely snow Was my favourite day out on the hills in Britain to date!

Not really scared of heights no. More scared about slipping off wet rocks down a great height! Fingers crossed for a fine day in Sconny this summer..