In message <
[email protected]>,
Fran <
[email protected]> writes
>
[email protected] said...
>> My 5 year old son wants to come hill walking with me. I'm
>> keen to encourage him and plan to take him up Conic Hill
>> at Loch Lomond. Has anybody who's been through the
>> process of taking their kids hillwalking any advice -
>> apart from don't!!!!
>
>Do take him! The only thing I'd say is that his
>expectations probably don't match reality, so be prepared
>for some complaining if the weather's not up to scratch or
>if he gets tired. Don't forget the length of his little
>legs, relative to yours. I don't know the Scottish hills at
>all, so I can't give specific advice; what I can say though
>is that IME it's definitely better to start them young. I
>waited for my two oldest to be 'old enough' before dragging
>them out, and neither are all that keen now; the youngest
>ones were taken out from very young, and are still
>reasonably enthusiastic.
Mine started at 8 months. [Not on his own feet admittedly].
Someone on this newsgroup (Fran tells me it was her) offered
the advice of a mile for each year of age and her advice is
most sound. So I'd say stick an upper limit of 5 miles on
the walk and 2000ft ascent. As it sounds like a first
venture, I'd reduce this further. When Timothy was five he
had become a regular walker and I found the above formula a
top limit for an enjoyable day. Remember that as his legs
are half your size he would really be doing 10 miles and
4000 feet
. Also remember that speed will be less. I
reckoned on Timothy doing a half Naismith (ie 1 1/2 miles
per hour plus 1 hour for each 1000 feet of ascent). This was
normally managed comfortably (sometimes we'd top a 2/3
Naismith) and allowed for a lot more stopping than normal:
funny shaped stones, playing in the burn etc etc.
I would stress advice given earlier about shoving food in.
Tim certainly didn't know when he was hungry and it came out
as moans about the walk. Enter food; exit moans. And stick
to decent weather (which may also mean rejecting days as too
hot, of course).
--
Michael Farthing cyclades Software House