UKH

Im looking for recomendations on easier walks to do with my daughter (8y), she has recently shown an interest in 'going up mountains' after a school project.

if any one has any fairly easy routes in the lakes/cheviots/borders?

Thanks 

You could try Hallin Fell near Howtown. Combine it with a sail on the Ullswater steamers and a walk along the shore. If that doesn't hook her, there's no hope.

Thanks will check it out!

If you're in the NE then either Roseberry Topping on the edge of the North Yorkshire Moors or the Simonside Hills near Rothbury would be a great starting point as they are quite small with lots of good paths but also with craggy interesting bits . There are plenty of bigger hills around the NE too but there's always a risk of putting kids off 'going up mountains' by taking them on long trogs across boggy moorland, which is what much of the northern Pennines and Cheviots can be like. If she likes those suggestions then there is plenty more to do in the Lake District as Lankyman suggests.

I suppose a lot of it will depend on your daughter's interests as well. If you were travelling west along the A69 it's well worth considering an excursion along the higher parts of Hadrian's Wall. True, there aren't any 'real' mountains but there are some nice craggy summits such as Windshields Crag and you can use the AD 122 bus (if it still operates) to make a linear walk without going over the same ground twice. There are lots of interesting Roman sites and you can get ice cream. Vindolanda is good and they also operate the Roman Army Museum a few miles further west which is very children oriented (they can enlist). The hill overlooking Vindolanda (Barcombe) gives a great view and the quarry Vindolanda Quarry has a Roman phallus carving which any child would find hysterically amusing.

Pike o' Blisco is a good starter-outer - you can do it from Wrynose Pass and it's not a big walk but it does get you a satisfying sense of being up among the high tops. If that goes well then you can go across Langdale and do Harrison Stickle, which takes a bit more leg-work but has plenty of interest along the way.

Simonside is a good option: https://www.walkingbritain.co.uk/walk-2148-description . Also Yeavering Bell in the Cheviots (https://www.northumberlandnationalpark.org.uk/walk/yeavering-bell-walk/), Eildon Hills above Melrose https://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/borders/eildon-hills.shtml , Three Brethren near Selkirk https://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/borders/three-brethren.shtml

Lots of good small hills in the Lakes: e.g. Loughrigg, Helm Crag, Catbells. Good list here: https://www.lookwithneweyes.com/10-of-the-best-small-hills-to-climb-in-the-...

Catbells including a trip on the boat from Keswick was always a favourite with our two. 

when we started ours off (youngest went up Skiddaw aged 4 and we did lower walks in Peak District and Lakes before) we always tried to add in something fun to see/do along the way (e.g a cave, river crossing) to break it up, having a few”fun fact” cards printed out about the route and combined with a small cube of soreeen every 200m! 

That’s a broad area you give; you don’t say where you’re based.  I’d start local so you don’t heap expectations on the trip on and the little one.  Engage them in building up to a big climb late in the autumn?

Attitude to the walk is far more important than the location IMO.  Look for somewhere they can use a loo on arrival, make sure shoes fit well, pack lots of snacks, have lots of little snack breaks, beware that if their enthusiasm is lost for any reason each new footstep up will be literally 10x harder than their previous but turn around and they’ll be running…  It helps if there’s an icecream shop at the end.  Also be aware if you don’t know how they’ll handle exposure, particularly if it’s windy (as it inevitably is of late!).  

I’ll second (or third) Rosebery Topping; toilet block and an icecream van in summer.  Levers water from Coniston is a good outing that immerses them in mountains, you can then make a call based on pace, attitude and weather on if you continue up or descend, with loops available for both.  The Howgills are very easy hills but the loops are quite long.

As long as you feed and water them, active kids are almost never limited by physical endurance but the mental endurance which you have to play to - and recognise when it’s gone, which is why I’d avoid long drives for the first attempt so you don’t find yourself pushing to hard against their tendencies.

Souther Fell from Mungrisdale is a good shortish walk for kids. It's a great viewpoint and there could be ghostly legions to keep all and sundry entertained. There's also the Mill Inn at the start/finish, with refreshments for those of all ages.

For the lakes this is worth checking out, with options for very easy walks too that they call “miles without stiles” a great resource.

https://www.lakedistrict.gov.uk/visiting/things-to-do/walking

cheers

Ryan

Have a look at the Rocky Rambler Wild Walks book.

Its got some great walks in the Lakes and gives a bit of ownership to the kids with some basic navigation.

I've got a 6 and 8 year old and while not strictly a mountain I would definitely recommend Simonside too. We did the big loop in summer (so they'd be 5 and 7) and it was a really pleasant 5miles, with plenty for them to scramble and climb about on. Could always do a Ravensheugh extension to it cause it'll blow your kids mind with how cool it is!

I'd also suggest another loop walk from Steel Rigg, along the top of Peel Crag, Crag Lough, but then come back along the base of those crags. It's a really fun adventure for them moving through the boulders and rock at the base, and it just as 'exposing' at the top as many much taller hills feel! Probably get to watch a few classic ascents too if it's a nice day.

I'm really looking forward to using this book this summer too. It's got 40 adventure days that take in biking, paddleboarding, scrambling, hiking etc and it's got fantastic maps and route descriptions too. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Outdoor-Adventures-Children-exploring-scrambling/d...

I'm following this thread with interest though as I think both of mine will fancy something a bit bigger when everything eventually dries out, so thanks for starting it.

Wansfell Pike impressed my daughter. There's even a little scrambly bit.

I'd add Dodd (Bassenthwaite Lake side of Skiddaw) to that list. Café at the start/finish, parking too, and a nice compact summit. My then 7-yo g'daughter's first Wainwright and she's keen to get more in the log book we bought in Keswick the same day