Hiking with baby and toddler

[Dreamingsleeper]

We’ve been invited to participate in a hiking ‘challenge’ for my DH’s mum’s 65th birthday. It’s a mountain she’s always wanted to climb and they’re making a weekend of it. However she’s shown us the route and it’s about 9 miles with lots of ups and downs and she estimates it’ll take 5 hours. Pre-children, my husband and I would’ve found this absolutely fine but I’m thinking that this is way too far for a 10 month old and a 2 year old. I’d have to wear the baby in a sling and I already struggle to carry him for long periods because he’s a big boy (in the loveliest way!). My toddler would walk for maybe 30 minutes before tiring and want to be carried in a backpack before complaining that she was uncomfortable for the next 4 hours. Then factoring in that we’d have to carry enough food / water for 4 people for 5 hours and no toilet for potty-training toddler…I’m just thinking it’s not doable? My DH is keen to give it a go but I have visions of being stranded on a mountain with baby and toddler in simultaneous meltdown with no food and water whilst putting on a brave face for the in-laws. Am I being too negative?!

Would it be unreasonable to chicken out and take the kids for a short walk and hot chocolate instead?! I don’t want to disappoint the family but I’m already breaking out in a cold sweat at the thought of it.

Can your Oh go and you do something different for the day?

10 month old shouldn't be heavy.

You could double baby wear or DH has toddler on back.

I did this sort of thing with mine at that age in the Rockies where we lived then. We used the backpack for younger and older sat on shoulders but by 2 she was a very good walker to be honest, would walk a couple of miles ( her younger sister not so much, still wanted carrying at 6, don't want you to think we had that compliant children!). You can alway later call in replacement shoulders for carries if there are lots of adults! Not easy I grant you but it's amazing what 2 year olds do for yogurt covered raisins I found (they didn't have disgusting American sweets)

@sashh

If you have a really good back pack to put one of them in would work, I've taken my daughter up the dales quite a lot in one all the way up to 2 years in a back pack. But 2 kids?! Also especially at the top (if you manage it) how steep/ Rocky is it? All in all I doubt it would be a great idea... doable but on the verge of impossible.

I think it's a lovely idea for a celebration.

As there are lots of people going, would it work if everyone took a shift with the sling/backpack?

I have one toddler and that would be a big nope!
If your oh really wants to go then can he not go for the both of you? Surely your mil isn't expecting the kids to be able to do it too?

@Gothichouse40

Rochellobe, why the hostility? No matter how 'expert' people may be accidents happen. The mountains are no place for babies, toddlers or very young children. However, since my post( which was only advisory) seems to give you such great offence since you are such an expert. I will happily ask for it's removal. People take babies/young children up mountains, it's a bad idea. However, you obviously know so much better than I. There is no 'safe' way for adults on the mountains, you just look at the rescue figures for this year. Accidents and sometimes sadly fatal accidents happen all the time. Even to expert climbers/walkers with many years experience. So no we never took our children till their early teens. I was not implying anything about the OP at all, that was a conclusion you jumped too. I was giving an example of what could happen. I now withdraw from this thread before anyone else jumps down my throat.

Goodness me, that’s a bit of an over-reaction to my post. I wasn’t intending to be hostile at all, but your blanket “no babies up mountains” was not relevant to the OP’s question. However, There is no need to have your post removed, that’s just being daft. Stand by your opinion, as I do mine.

@TheLovleyChebbyMcGee

You couldn't pay me enough in the world to give that a go!!

I can’t add anything more to this.

I have to admit DH and I very keen mountain walkers, including multi day hikes, but we did stick to low level stuff when DC were very small. Ds2 climbed Wansfel (a baby one) the week he turned 4, but we hadn't been up high with him before that. DN climbed Helvellyn at 7yo whilst under going chemotherapy, so we don't underestimate the abilities of our children, but a baby up there if something goes wrong will be no fun and could be extremely dangerous. So I take back my previous comment Cheering them off, including Dh if he wants, is a good plan.

Oh hell no

I'd be organising the well done/ birthday celebration drinks & cake at the bottom. Someone has to ensure that the alcohol is at a nice cool temperature ready for serving

I cannot think of many things I would less rather do than that Climb the mountain? Lovely. Climb the mountain with a baby and a toddler? Nooooo.

My partner’s daughters start grumbling (and then the younger one starts full on complaining) after about 2 miles on the flat though, so I might be traumatised from that

No fucking chance.

I wouldn't do this.
It's a long way, the toddler will get tired, even if you share the load. The baby will get cold and fed up, changing a baby in possibly cold/wet/windy conditions will not give you a happy child.
Mountain conditions, even in the UK can be highly variable.
I'd let the others go and meet them at the end.

that sounds too much tbh.
can you propose to meet up with a picknick 1k from the end?
best of both worlds.

We did lots of fell walking in the lakes when children were small, but this would be too much, and could even be dangerous, a child in a sling, when fell walking, could be squashed if you slipped.
9 hours of walking up mountains with small children, would be something only undertaken if you were fleeing from war, or natural disaster!

burritofan ❤️

I’ve got a two year old and as others have said, if he’s walking by himself it takes 40 minutes to get 100 yards, and we can only manage him to carry him in the backpack for about half a hour max before our shoulders go numb (he’s 16.5 kg).

With a baby in the sling we used to go for walks of 2 hours or more but even then not as ambitious as this plan.

Hiking is one of the few things I miss about our pre-child life. Hope we can get back to it in a few years.

I've just remembered we went up Blencathra in the Lake District many years ago with two toddlers in backpacks - their ambitious dad, DH and me pre-DC. I was carrying the younger child. It was a long day out and the cloud came down, the group split up due to wanting to take a different path - we ended up with cold miserable babies and were lucky to get back to the cars - we didn't make the summit. I don't know how I'd have explained to mountain rescue why I was on a mountain with hardly any equipment and someone else's baby.

Sometimes you just have to accept that parenting responsibilities mean you can't join in with all the fun things you'd like to (aimed at your MIL and DH).

I love hiking, and did short hikes with the babies/toddlers, but no, nothing like this. The children simply won't enjoy it. No one wants to feed and nappy-change multiple times on a rainswept mountainside. You're the one stuck carrying them. If the route becomes dangerous you're the one at the risk of slipping, with a sling or hand-holding toddler.

Just say no and ignore any weird whining they do. It will not be a pleasant experience for the kids, so don't put them through it.

I walk in the Lakes.

For a 9 mile walk I am guessing Helvellyn, Scafell Pike, Bowfell etc maybe Great Gable (all fells I have done).

1. It will take longer than 5 hours unless everyone is very fit indeed
2. If it is soon it could be scorching hot - lots of UV - or else suddenly cold and misty

Oh, just millions of reasons not to think this would be anything other than a really unpleasant and possibly unsafe enterprise.

No one wants to come home in a helicopter.

Or be on the news pooing on rocks, obv.

This is a ridiculous idea and there is no way you can comfortably do this, for anyone involved.