Recommended Hikes with Baby Backpack

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Removed User 14 Jan 2021

Hi all,

 I was wondering if anyone had any recommendations for easysmall peaks with a 12 month old in Osprey baby carrier as looking to get my son into hiking from an early age. I live around an hour away from Peak districtLakesSnowdonia and Yorkshire dales so anywhere in these areas would be good.

Obviously we can't do anything at the moment but I'm hoping in about 3 months time we can get back out and about. He's loved our repeated trips up Rivington Pike and has been no bother on walks up to about 3 hours or so.

With that in mind me and the Mrs did Catbells when she was 7 months pregnant last year without any issues and would imagine as long as it's dry this should be a relatively straightforward hike with the carrier. Any other suggestions similar to this? I was thinking maybe Loughrigg, again when it's dry as there was a fair bit of downhill walking on what grass which I think would be a bad combo with a baby carrier.

Most of my previous walking and scrambling experience has been on the higher peaks not really suitable for a child of that age so any other suggestions would be greatly appreciated

Cheers

 elliot.baker 14 Jan 2021
In reply to Removed UserPekatron:

I will be avidly watching this thread and may bookmark it as I expect some gold in here.

For my birthday we recently did Winhill via Parkin Clough, then came back down the path through the woods on the North side of Winhill, for a nice flat walk, with puddles to jump in and dry leaves to throw and kick, back around to where we parked. This was with our 20 month old in the Osprey Poco Plus carrier. This was November, wasn't too cold for him when he was wrapped up but wouldn't have fancied it a couple of weeks ago in the snow and wind!!!!

We parked on Lydgate Lane at the bottom, it was quiet, if there wasn't parking here there is plenty of reasonable parking dotted around the area.

Pro's: nice big proper hill for the Peak District! great views from the top where I got my stove out for a coffee and hot choc sat on the rocks!, lovely flat walk for little legs by the reservoir to get back around to the car . Close to parking. Short. Never far from car.

Con's: Parkin Clough is steep and narrow but we found it perfectly fine (half the fun tbh!!!), I carried him up their obvs. have to be careful with the little one on the rocks at the top obvs.

Enjoy!!!

Edit: where is this miraculous place which is one hour from everywhere?!

Post edited at 15:48
Removed User 14 Jan 2021
In reply to elliot.baker:

I'm in Horwich, Bolton- an hour to the Peaks and Dales , Hour and 20 to the Lakes and probably hour and half 45 mins to Snowdonia.

I'll definitely look that one up as haven't done much in the Peak District. The only ones I've done there are Mam Tor and Kinder so would be good to do a few others round there.

Interestingly enough I know an Elliot Baker, whereabouts are you based?

In reply to Removed UserPekatron:

It's a while since I was in your shoes, but there are loads of suitable smaller hills in the UKH Route Cards. Here's a random selection:

Lakes

Lingmoor Fell https://www.ukhillwalking.com/logbook/r/?i=877

Helm Crag https://www.ukhillwalking.com/logbook/r/?i=856

Hallin Fell https://www.ukhillwalking.com/logbook/r/?i=843

Bowscale Tarn & Fell https://www.ukhillwalking.com/logbook/r/?i=874

Pennies

Nine Standards Rigg https://www.ukhillwalking.com/logbook/r/?i=1301

Stoodley Pike https://www.ukhillwalking.com/logbook/r/?i=1291

Peak

Win Hill https://www.ukhillwalking.com/logbook/r/?i=589

Mam Tor https://www.ukhillwalking.com/logbook/r/?i=117

Eyam Moor https://www.ukhillwalking.com/logbook/r/?i=323

Snowdonia

Most of our walks here to date have been bigger, but you could head down to the Rhinogydd and go up the Roman Steps, that's a lot of scenic bang for your buck, in a wild place. Rhinog Fawr itself might be a bit rough with a baby carrier: https://www.ukhillwalking.com/logbook/r/?i=1223

In reply to Removed UserPekatron:

From Malham. Janet's Foss-Gordale Scar-Malham Cove. About 6 miles if remember correctly. Done several times with my son in a backpack. There's a little bit of scrambling up the jumble of rocks in the scar but I was 30 odd years younger then.

Also Haystacks from Gatesgarth Farm. Go anticlockwise, up the steep bit from Scratch Gap and down via Blackbeck Tarn and Warnscale Bottom.

Many happy days out with my young son. Enjoy making your me memories.

 elliot.baker 14 Jan 2021
In reply to Removed UserPekatron:

Belper...

Removed User 14 Jan 2021
In reply to Dan Bailey - UKHillwalking.com:

Cheers Dan, some crackers there that will keep me going for a while no doubt!

When I did Mam Tor I started at Lose Hill and the route down off Mam Tor  towards Castleton seemed pretty steep( with a carrier) from what can remember but no doubt there are a few more gradual descents available.

Removed User 14 Jan 2021
In reply to Deleated bagger:

I love Malham. Me and the Mrs accidently downclimbed  Gordale  Scar after going up the cove first. It was our first attempt at scrambling( and nearly our last) as we got to the top of the waterfall and the Mrs didn't fancy it at all. In the end a group of younger, obviously more experienced scramblers walked past us so we just decided to go for itvand followed their route. I appreciate it isn't a massive drop but hanging on backwards to wet rock with a load of jagged rocks directly below certainly got the old ticker going!  Going up it definitely seemed a lot easier. I'm not sure I'd be comfortable with the little lad on my back though. Definitel worth a trek round there when we're out of lockdown as one of my favourite places!

Never done Haystacks but heard people rave about it so that's definitely one for the list!

Removed User 14 Jan 2021
In reply to elliot.baker:

It's not who I thought then.c

Cheers for the advice though pal...just need to ride out this lockdown now!

In reply to Removed UserPekatron:

Anything. You'll just be limited by how long your little one is willing to sit in the backpack for and how long you think it's OK to leave them in there for. Bear in mind they get cold much faster than you do and dress them accordingly. You've a great excuse to avoid poor weather now too! Worth taking a massive tarp for stops. 

Post edited at 08:12
 elliot.baker 15 Jan 2021
In reply to Removed UserPekatron:

If you get there early you can park 9/10ths of the way up Mam Tor where the cut goes through the ridge, or there is another car park on the South side of it that's only a short walk away.

 mike123 15 Jan 2021
In reply to Removed UserPekatron: for the lakes,  get one of those maps with the all  wainwrights on and then  make up walks that take in one , two , three etc based on how far you fancy and how far kids are happy to  cope / put up with. The actually wainwright routes are often too far for either you to carry them or them to be in the backpac. I know this has been done to death on here BUT an important skill is learning to go with the flow and not to get too set on a " goal " . Sounds obvious but all kids are different . Some will go for hours in a back pack , some will hate it . Most will be somewhere inbetween. Also every day is different , one day - "you can give me all the haribo in the world but I'm not getting in that f£&king thing"  , the next "  o goody , the backpack , can we go up skidaw again dad " . Most days somwhere in between. 

 wercat 15 Jan 2021
In reply to Removed UserPekatron:

Grasmere area is good for family walks.   Kids appreciate Tarns (though possibly not babies) - more to do than on a summit, stone throwing, stone piling, paddling, splashing about, wildlife etc.  Alcock Tarn, Easedale Tarn have a bit of ascent and descent, or Grasmere/Rydal shore walk for something easy.

Stickle Tarn in Langdale etc etc etc

Removed User 15 Jan 2021
In reply to wercat:

Cheers for the advice guys. My lad is only 9 months at the moment and seems to love being in the carrier so no issues really. Just babbles away for the first hour then has an hour's kip , then back awake..no doubt that will change over then next year or so! I think 3 - 4 hours is the max he could take so I won't be doing Fairfield Horseshoe or anything like that,but some of the smaller fella look doable.

I did Rydal and Grasmere when he was about 5 months back in summer and wanted to try a round of Buttermere as well but haven't had chance. Definitely one of the smaller peaks mentioned is the next step...roll on freedom!


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