by HalfManHalfTitanium » Tue Oct 19, 2021 7:59 pm
I took my kids, aged 8 and 5 at the time, up Humphreys Peak in the States. It’s around 13000 feet high, but the ascent from the car park is similar in height and length to the Ben, although Humphreys is rougher and steeper high up. They walked up the whole way and didn’t want to be carried. So, it can definitely be done.
They are now 22 and 19, but they still talk fondly about that day and what an adventure it was. It was a confidence boost for them too: none of their friends had done anything like that!
A key element was that we did the walk without expecting or aiming to get to the top. It was “see how it goes”. At each step, they wanted to carry on.
And, the children were at the centre of it - it was “their adventure”. If at any point I’d seen the slightest sign that one of them wasn’t enjoying it, I would have turned round immediately.
Also I kept reminding them, as we were going up, that they would have to walk all this way down!
I chose Humphreys Peak very carefully. It has a pretty stable climate, and the daily weather is highly predictable. It gets snow in the winter - but that’s very rarely until late November (we climbed it in October).
I would have been more wary about Ben Nevis, for three reasons: unstable and often bad weather, including the risks of high winds, ice, and snow (that’s the main reason); the dangers of Five Finger Gully in descent; and finally the Ben Nevis path is comparatively uninteresting.
I think the last of those is an important consideration - in my experience, kids feel tired much more quickly if they’re bored.
So if I were in your position, I would probably look for a lower, more interesting walk.
But if you do go, I suggest seeing what the weather’s like (most of all) and be ready to turn round at any point.
Also, carry a really warm coat (kids’ ski wear is ideal) and a few extra layers. And test footwear out thoroughly beforehand, to be sure it will be comfy and not cause blisters on such a long walk.
Overall, I would see the objective not as reaching the top, but simply as having a nice time that the child enjoys.
One last thing. SWEETS!!!!
Tim
The OP has been banned as they have posted from several different accounts each used only once, with queries that contradict each other. Suspected trolling.