From the windswept summit of Mam Tor, panoramic views stretch across the green valleys and winding trails of the Peak District.
This iconic 517 metre high hill offers perhaps some of the most breath-taking and colourful vistas anywhere in England. On a clear day, Edale Valley, Kinder Scout and the Derwent Moors can all be seen from up here.
If feels like the top of the world – or at least the top of Derbyshire.
Now, it seems, this spot is just one of many places across the UK seeing a big rise in young visitors as Gen Z and the TikTok generation appear to be increasingly taking up walking and hiking.
An activity that is often viewed as boring by younger people has become a booming pastime thanks to social media highlighting the amazing places your feet can take you: there are currently more than 10,000 posts on TikTok under the hashtag ‘mamtor’ with those videos showing off the stunning views and glorious sunsets from the summit.
Hiking in general is an activity that is enjoying a boom period.
Statistics show that 23 percent of Brits would describe themselves as hikers, with 15 percent saying they hiked at least once a month in 2024, according to OurSportingLife.
This is an increase from the 16 percent from 2019 – a growth most likely brought about by the fact that many people, including young people, took up hiking during Covid-19 lockdowns.
Now, Miranda Chambers-Reid, spokesperson for the Sheffield 20s & 30s Walking Group, says it can only be good news that Gen Z are discovering walking in general and the beauty of the Peak District specifically.
She said: “I think it’s one of the most accessible types of activity there is, so it doesn’t matter if people are going for an urban walk around the area they live or whether they’re going to make a bit more of a stretch and go out into the countryside.”
Since being established in 2002, the Sheffield group has amassed around 200 members. Yet, despite this group being around for 20 years, there’s still a prevailing stereotype that walking groups are predominately for older people.
Miranda said: “I am glad that younger people are getting into walking and they’re doing it now and especially while they’re fitter and they can do the more challenging walks.”
Speaking about Mam Tor becoming big on social, she said: “I think that as long as people are looking after it, then that is a wonderful, wonderful place to start exploring the Peak District.”
But she added: “I always see clips and videos of people sitting on top of Mam Tor for the sunrise and I just think that there are other places that you can go and watch that sunrise from, it doesn’t just have to be Mam Tor.”
She recommended that people explore more of the dales, more of the edges and more reservoirs in the area; places like Lathkill Dale, Baslow Edge or Fernilee Reservoir?
She said: “I feel like people kind of stick to that central boundary between Manchester and Sheffield and forget about everything that’s spread further afield.”
Daniel Burley ,19, is a Sheffield teenager who has recently completed the Mam Tor hike – after first learning about it on TikTok.
He said: “Me and my friends decided to go just because we wanted to get out of the house and do something rather than staying inside all day and a walk seemed perfect.
“We chose to go there because it seemed like a challenge for people of our level and hiking experience, and we’ve seen so many TikTok’s about it, so we wanted to try it for ourselves.”
He added that the walk had given he and his friends a “chance to socialise without drinking”.
With TikTok being a leading social media platform, it is little wonder that people get influenced so easily.
The app currently has over 1.8 billion users with this figure growing and growing. UK users spend an average of 49.29 hours per month the site according to SendShort.
And one person who seems pleased that walking has become a trend is Andrea Barber, a health improvement practitioner with Derbyshire County Council.
She said: “I’m so glad that people are becoming more interested in exercising, especially in our beautiful landscapes…
“Walking has so many benefits, not only just physical, but mental as well. It improves your mood and can reduce stress and anxiety along with all the physical benefits like improving your heart and cardiovascular fitness.”
