The Society is committed to promoting leadership in our young people. Safe and responsible expeditioning demands the highest standard of leadership. To this end we regularly organise nationally recognised training courses for aspiring leaders. Members are frequently sponsored to gain such qualifications as the Single Pitch Assessment, Mountain First Aid Certificate, Cave Leadership and Mountain Leadership Awards.

On overseas ventures, each group member accepts responsibility for one vital area of activity. This specialised responsibility may require them to gain qualification or more specific experience before taking to the field. They learn that to succeed on expedition, they must be competent in their chosen field, work together and achieve a high degree of interdependence.

In addition to providing young leaders with administrative support, the Society can assist with recruitment and selection of candidates as well as a comprehensive database of information gained from over forty overseas ventures. We also maintain a mentoring programme to support those starting out to organise their own venture. Aspiring leaders are encouraged to develop their personal skills under the guidance of experienced expedition leaders.

We are rightly proud of our success in fostering young leaders: They increasingly feature on our United Kingdom Teams. Overseas ventures always include them. In any year up to six young DES members will graduate in Outdoor Education.  

Young people have gone on to lead their own peer group expeditions to the high Atlas Mountains of Morocco, the Alps and Pyrenees of France, the Central Highlands of Indonesia, the Italian Dolomites and the High Tatras of Slovakia, Iceland and Pakistan.

In keeping with the Society's philosophy of developing young leaders, at least a quarter of the Management Committee are young members.

"At the end of our travels in South America, a new idea was discussed. This was a venture to North Africa led by a small group of young leaders. And so the Morocco Expedition was born. In the next twelve months I needed all the experience I had gained, in addition to the support of the Society. Once in Morocco, our team camel trekked across the Sahara, climbed the highest mountain in North Africa and explored the Western Coast. The expedition was hugely successful and was repeated by another team of young leaders the following year" (20 Year-old Young Leader).

When the expedition leader has received your application, you will then be invited to attend a selection weekend to determine your suitability for a particular expedition.  Selection may vary slightly from expedition to expedition but leaders will be assessing your leadership potential and your ability to work in a team. With expeditions operating in challenging environments every member is a vital link in the chain. Any weakness could seriously affect the safety of the expedition. Having an effective selection procedure is part of our commitment to provide safe but challenging expeditions.

The weekend will involve you working physically and mentally hard, and you will be put under pressure. A typical weekend may include initiative tasks, timed physical activities, camp craft, climbing and abseiling and swimming You may be asked to deliver a talk on any subject at any time of the day or night. All the while you will need to maintain your focus and keep your sense of humour.

Although they are demanding selection weekends are always remembered by expedition members. It is here that they made new friends which post expedition, are forged for life.