Halfway round his favourite walk in the Peak District, Andrew Bennett usually doubts the wisdom of being a Member of Parliament with an interest in walking and the countryside.
Once, he agreed to make a speech on the hill called Ward's Piece to mark the centenary of the birth of the Sheffield walking pioneer, GHB Ward, whose name it bears, and inevitably the weather turned nasty, blowing a gale and raining steel rods. "I kept my collar turned up and shouted into the storm," he says.
"I'd just finished my address when another group of people arrived from Hope and expected a few more words. Of all the places I've spoken, it was probably the most trying."
Ward's Piece, also called Lose Hill, is part of an eight-mile circuit that offers splendid views of the south Pennine landscape. Thanks to the campaigns of men like Ward, it was made Britain's first National Park in 1951.
The walk starts and ends a few miles from Hope railway station, in the village of Castleton, famous for its springtime Garland Day, when a horseman with a headdress of wild flowers is led through the streets by a local maiden.
Bennett's route takes him past Peveril Castle up the dry limestone valley of Cave Dale, follows old tracks across the dramatic cleft of Winnat's Gorge, then makes the steep climb to Mam Tor, a rocky outcrop 1,700ft high.
"The highlight of the walk is the outlook from the Tor," he says. "You get fine views to the south over the limestone country of the White Peak and to the north across the lush green valley of Edale to the millstone grit of the Dark Peak and Kinder Scout.
"In the autumn, there's the wonderful colour of the heather on Kinder, and, in winter, there'll often be snow, while it's clear of snow in the valleys."
The sights take him back to his teenage years when he would come here with friends in his Scout troop for much more strenuous walks, including a 25-miler which involved a cold overnight bivouac in the shadow of the Tor.
From the summit, his route follows the ridge two miles eastward to Hollins Cross and Ward's Piece before swinging right for the gradual descent to Hope and a gentle path back up the valley to Castleton and its wide choice of pubs.
"The good thing about this walk is that there are so many changes you can make to it, depending on what the weather's doing," says Bennett. "You can stop off at the Speedwell or Blue John caverns and have an hour of mining history to get you out of the rain. You can shorten it by turning right at Hollins Cross on a nice footpath back to Castleton. And you can make it longer by going on from there to the village of Nether Booth before coming back across Ward's Piece."
Bennett, Labour MP for Denton and Reddish in Greater Manchester, is less likely to choose the longer options following a hip replacement which has reduced his capacity to climb, but hasn't changed his enthusiasm for walking.
He doesn't favour expeditions in large groups and, as president of the Ramblers' Association, is trying to help it shed a lingering image of troops of wild-eyed vegetarians tramping the moorlands in eccentric woolly hats.
"One thing they have to work hard on is broadening their image and providing services for anyone who likes walking and using rights of way in the countryside, including people who don't want to walk in groups," he says.
He prefers going out with three or four friends or family members, or by himself: "When it's with a group, conversation tends to be quite important. On my own I tend to think out my problems a bit - preparing that perfect speech which I'll never deliver, or drafting that fine article which I'll have forgotten by the time I get home."
Way forward
The Ramblers' Association runs 420 local groups, produces a magazine and information services, organises holidays, and mounts campaigns on questions of rights of way and access to the countryside.
Whatever you think of its name and image, the asociation is expanding rapidly: membership has doubled to 130,000 in the past 10 years.
With such figures, changing its image may not be a high priority. But it is keen to attract more people in their 20s and 30s and from time to time considers changing its name to something with a more modern ring. So far nothing suitable has occurred.
"It may be that some people perceive us an organisation for group walking, and we know that the social aspect is a big draw for new members," says Jackie Sanders of the RA. "However, many of our members choose to walk with their friends, families or alone.
"Our aim is to be here for everyone who enjoys walking, whether it be a 15-mile mountain trek, an afternoon stroll in the countryside or a walk down the shops."
The practicals
ThePeak District is crossed by the Hope Valley line between Manchester and Sheffield: National Rail Enquiries 08457 484950. Free guide to transport and accommodation from Peak District National Park Authority in Bakewell (01629 816200). Best map for Andrew Bennett's walk is OS Outdoor Leisure (approx 2 inches to 1 mile) number 1 (The Peak District - Dark Peak Area), £6.50. See also Outdoor Leisure 3 (The Peak District - White Peak Area) and OS Landranger maps (approx 1 inch to 1 mile) 110 (Sheffield and Huddersfield, Glossop and Holmfirth) and 119 (Buxton, Matlock and Dovedale), £5.25.
