My passion: James Gillow, recruitment consultant at iSource Group, has helped set up Leeds Rambling Society

Our family went on regular walks every weekend, so I was exposed to the world of rambling from an extremely early age. Being from Darlington, the local walks were located on the Cleveland hills. Roseberry Topping was a good early challenge in my walking life.

When I moved to Leeds there was a group of us that found we had a shared interest in exploring the walks around and about. With the Yorkshire Dales, North York Moors and Peak District on the doorstep, it’s the ideal location to make the most of the beautiful countryside.

As it became clear we all wanted to walk more frequently, we decided to form a private group ‘The Leeds Rambling Society’.

It’s simply a group of friends that live in Leeds city centre but that want to escape from our hectic careers and work lives on a weekend.

As a closed group on Facebook, anyone wanting to join would have to be invited, but there is plenty of opportunity for the tight-knit society to grow if people want to get involved.

The group shares weekly posts about where we would like to go and what walks to tackle next.

Malham Cove is one of my particular favourites with so many points of interest including a number of waterfalls.

There is even one walk leading to a stunning view at the top of the cove.

I would highly recommend this walk and thankfully for us, we have always been very lucky with the weather, although this is something to consider before you head out.

A further positive is the chips from the pub at the end, which are well worth it

With technology playing an increasingly important role when it comes to keeping fit and active, with Apple Watch and other pedometers and ways in which you can track the progress that is made, the group is now using this as a way to keep on top of our fitness.

As well as the weekly posts we share about where we want to visit and the walks that we would like to take part in, we also track the walks, which allows us to keep a track of the distance and pace.

It’s not about being competitive, it’s just about sharing how far we’ve come and pushing ourselves to do even more next time we venture out.

Let’s be honest, as far as hobbies and passions are concerned, enjoying the fresh air with a great group of friends and unbelievable Yorkshire scenery is a fantastic way to spend your free time away from the office.