Author Topic: 1st fell walk for kids  (Read 5579 times)

marmot

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1st fell walk for kids
« on: 23:16:22, 20/01/08 »
Has anyone any experience of their first outing on the fells with their kids? - how old they were, if they enjoyed it, length / ascent of walk, anything done to make it more interesting etc.

I have a son aged 2 years and 4 months and am itching for him to get a bit older so I can get him out on the fells (after being grounded a bit since their birth - I have a daughter aged 8 months too, who won't be coming on my back this time btw).

He's very big and strong for his age - more like a four-year-old, but obviously I don't want to scare him off by pushing him too far or by going in bad weather etc.

I'm thinking of trying him up Latrigg next week - the (very) easy way - from the Underscar back road, it's probably the best walk in the Lakes for the effort - excellent views and no real dangers for a kid.

By the way, he's far too heavy to carry long distances!

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mike knipe

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Re: 1st fell walk for kids
« Reply #1 on: 10:43:06, 21/01/08 »
We have a sort of family tradition which goes back a few generations of taking the kids up Penyghent from dale Head (about 3 miles there and back). I took each of my three sprogs up there as soon as they started asking to go up - I guess they'd be about five years old. It became a  sort of rite of passage for each of them
Afterwards, we'd have hot chocolate at the Penyghent cafe and have a bit of an explore of Upper Long Churn which is a walk-in/walk out cave.
They'd usually sleep on the way back!
We also did bivvies in high summer at Red tarn under Helvellyn when the youngest would have been , say 8 (ish) - in army surplus arctic covers.... sausage butties for brekkies!
And we did wild camps and bivvies at Angle tarn, Dovedale and other places.
I think my son would be seven when he did his first Corbetts and Munros (he ate his way up Ben Each and Ben Chonzie)  And we once irresponsibly fired a water-powered rocket off the summit of Ingleborough, lost it,  and found it later in the beck by Crina Bottom (!)
I think the key is to suspend your own personal ambitions whilst out with the kids and know when to give up and just paddle or throw stones in the beck
I think Latrigg would be a good start, although at the age of two and a bit, you might have to do a fair bit of carrying!
« Last Edit: 11:45:00, 21/01/08 by mike knipe »
Some kind of happiness is measured out in miles

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ukmase

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Re: 1st fell walk for kids
« Reply #2 on: 11:41:10, 21/01/08 »
Marmot - do you have any details on the walk you are planning up Latrigg. I have a 2 year old soon to be 3 and i would love to take him up a fell. He is constatly talking about mountains and loves looking at my Trail magazine.

Great thread by the way  8)

mike knipe

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Re: 1st fell walk for kids
« Reply #3 on: 11:45:20, 21/01/08 »
Fell toddling!
Some kind of happiness is measured out in miles

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KIDSTYPIKE

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Re: 1st fell walk for kids
« Reply #4 on: 13:01:53, 21/01/08 »
To the summit of Latrigg from the Underscar car park is just over 0.5 miles with 250 feet of ascent. You can either return the same way or drop down to the NE to pick up the track to Brundleholme and return to the car park on that.

Total: 1.25 miles  Ascent: 304 feet.

Dave
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marmot

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Re: 1st fell walk for kids
« Reply #5 on: 14:38:31, 21/01/08 »
ukmase - to add to the details already given on the walk - there should be ample car parking this time of year at the top of the road (dead end) (can be busy in summer - it's the tourist route up Skiddaw), it's the road that heads up behind the back of Latrigg from the Bassenthwaite side to the col between it and Skiddaw / Lonscale Fell.

I'm pretty sure my son will manage it, even at that age, hopefully not with too much time on my shoulders on the way up.

If you have older kids, or no kids at all for that matter, the longer walk up Latrigg from Keswick alongside the River Greta and up to that col from the eastern side is an absolute classic short walk - beautiful woodland / river walk with the short ridge walk back to the summit to those amazing views of Derwent Water etc.

Another excellent short walk with a cheat is Walla Crag from near the campsites at Castlerigg, keep a tight hold of your toddlers on top though!
Hardknott from the top of the pass is a great one for the effort too. Rannerdale Knotts,  Low Fell......that's one of the great things about the Lakes - lots of good short walks as well as the bigger, more familiar ones - excellent variety.

Thanks for the replies.


Snowman

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Re: 1st fell walk for kids
« Reply #6 on: 01:06:17, 22/01/08 »
Not exactly a fell walk, but my firstborn is now 3 and like you I've been somewhat restricted in recent times and am dying to get him up the hills.   I also have a second who was born on Christmas Day, so like you again have another one to think about.

Anyway, my plan is to take no. 1 up Snowdon this summer via the 'Tourist route' from Llanberis.    It's about 3 miles I seem to remember, and if he's a bit 'cream crackered', we can come down by train.

Summer 2007 we were driving past Ingleborough which I showed him (for once there was no cloud cover), so I asked him if he'd like to climb a mountain and he said yes, so I have to do this.    Sure he doesn't understand fully, but the beauty of the Snowdon tourist route is that there are stations all the way up, so if things go wrong you can always bail out.

S.

Snowman

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Re: 1st fell walk for kids
« Reply #7 on: 01:11:46, 22/01/08 »
Thought I should mention that I've always despised the fact that Snowdon has a railway going up it, but since it is there, and under the circumstances I now find myself, I may as well take advantage of it.

My own first (and only) ascent of Snowdon was via the Rhydd Ddu path.

S.

marmot

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Re: 1st fell walk for kids
« Reply #8 on: 10:19:10, 22/01/08 »
Yes, my son is always pointing at the fells, saying he wants to climb them, it was Skiddaw last time.  I think I'd end up with a seriously bad back if I attempted Skiddaw with him at the moment!

They do do some daft things in Wales don't they - ugly mine buildings, transmitters, etc. in very prominent positions, and the railway of course - at least it's hidden on the grassier side of the mountain I suppose.  It was the old concrete cafe that riled me, what the hell were they thinking of?!

Mr. Blister

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Re: 1st fell walk for kids
« Reply #9 on: 17:14:41, 22/01/08 »
Anyway, my plan is to take no. 1 up Snowdon this summer via the 'Tourist route' from Llanberis.    It's about 3 miles I seem to remember, and if he's a bit 'cream crackered', we can come down by train.

Your eldest is the same age as my youngest, and I couldn't imagine taking her up Snowdon, so I really envy your confidence in that regard.  I think you've chosen a good spot, the train - while not always been appreciated - is a blessing in this regard.  When you planning on doing this, Spring/Summer time??

I've took my kids (the elder ones - 5 & 7) out a few times, and they really enjoy themselves. Children really are little dynamos, full of innocent and boundless energy, and like someone on here said, the trick is knowing when to just throw stone in a lake or explore a wood.

Ridge

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Re: 1st fell walk for kids
« Reply #10 on: 11:11:36, 25/01/08 »
My daughters first hill, aged 4, was Catbells. You can take the boat over from Keswick if you like and it is a proper hill that they can do from bottom to top with a real summit.

Catbells was also part of my sons first full day when he was 7 and we did Cat bells, Maiden Moor, High Spy and at his insistence Dale Head.

My children both like looking at the map and planning before we set out and walk much better up a hill where there is a definite target than they do on the flat.

muymalestado

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Re: 1st fell walk for kids
« Reply #11 on: 13:48:07, 25/01/08 »
Welcome Ridge
I think this next one will be the top ...

janeth

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Re: 1st fell walk for kids
« Reply #12 on: 00:03:45, 06/02/08 »
Hi

We took our kids (3 + 5) up catbells as their first proper hill ( Everest as Maddie called it) Mainly because it is a proper mountain shape and has a proper mountain top! I would always avoid rounded hills with the kids as I hated all the "just over the next rise" bit as a child :D

J

 

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