When you set off on a new Peak District walk you never quite know what to expect. Sometimes you can end up pleasantly surprised, and other times find yourself biting off more than you can chew. My first experience of the Peak District was as a student, tagging along with a group of friends at the end of exams. Armed with a meal deal, a waterproof and my decade-old walking boots, I was prepared for a relaxed ramble in the English countryside. Turns out, we were tackling Kinder Scout, one of the Peak District's more challenging routes and I was rather taken aback by the amount of scrambling involved. I definitely didn’t bring enough liquids with me. and certainly not enough layers. Click here for the latest on Manchester's food & drink scene, gigs and more in our CityLife newsletter In the years since whenever I’ve embarked on a Peak District trip I’m usually well-prepared with a bag big enough to support a small camping trip for a walk lasting for just a few hours. Surprises on other walks have been far more favourable, a particular one that stands out was a magnificent parrot I once saw on the top of Mam Tor. Following the trend my most recent trip to the Peak District ended with a rather nice surprise: a spontaneous bit of sailing. It’s perhaps the last thing I’d expect to do in this national park. Hurriedly planning our walk the night before, I suggested to my friend that we should head to the Ruins of Erwood Hall, right next to Erwood Reservoir.The next day we parked up easily enough and set off on our walk, striding out beside the water’s edge. But the reservoir wasn’t our goal, we were headed away from the water and up into the surrounding hills. From here we marvelled at the views of the reservoir below, before descending down into the woodland trails of Shooter’s Clough. Navigating narrow paths and crossing small streams, we followed the signs for the hall and eventually came across the ruin. Built in the 1830s by wealthy Manchester businessman Samuel Grimshawe, the hall was occupied by his family for the next hundred years but it was demolished in 1934. Nearby is a small chapel in memory of the Spanish governess who used to teach the Grimshawe family, although we didn’t come across it on our walk. After looping back on ourselves we returned to the reservoir, pleased to see an ice cream van parked up in the car park. Treats in hand, we wandered along the water and spotted a sign for a free taster session at Errwood Sailing Club. My friend managed to persuade me to do it and off we went. Soon we were being strapped into a life jacket and were placed aboard a small sailing boat, along with another lady and a friendly member of the sailing club team. We were soon gliding across the surface of the water, at some points leaning scarily close on one side and then the other, and I was personally relieved I was sitting in the middle. Despite the touch of adrenaline it was amazing to get a different perspective of the Peak District, and with the sun shining down it felt like being on holiday. Well sort of, the wind was rather chilly. Back on dry land, we found out that we’d stumbled across their only open day of the year, a hugely popular session which results in many new members joining up. The club is an affiliated member of the Royal Yacht Association and once new members join they’re quickly trained up on sailing basics. While I won’t be the next Ben Ainslie anytime soon, it was amazing to try something new on a day I least expected it. Far more enjoyable than a scramble up Kinder Scout. Details of Erwood Sailing Club can be found on its website www.errwoodsailing.co.uk. For more of the latest What's On news, click here.