MOM Series: hiking with your baby
I know the idea of hiking up a mountain, or walking windswept coastal paths, with your kids, might feel intimidating at first. Then there’s the gear, the planning, the ‘what ifs’. But ‘what if’ it is much easier than you think?
You can build your own micro adventure to get started and, once your confidence and muscle tolerance has grown, you can move on to wherever your heart desires! While I am writing this blog aimed at parents of babies and toddlers, I do think a lot of these principles will work for older children too. Now Monty is out of the carry case and walking with me, I’m applying what I’ve learnt but adapting it for his age; so far so good!
A few weeks ago I came up with my ‘Sofa To Summit’ idea as a sub-series of my MOM Posts. Leaning on my experience, the goal is a ‘how-to’ guide for hiking with your little ones for those parents (grandparents, aunties, uncles too!) who might have thought they have to wait a few years, for the little ones to be older, in order to adventure and enjoy the outdoors. Take it from me, hiking with your kids is not only an easy (and free!) way to enjoy being out in nature, but carrying your child helps build-up your core, deepens your bond with your little ones and creates opportunities for some precious memories.
I stumbled across these benefits back when Monty was still aged in ‘weeks’ rather than months or years. I’d planned a week away to North Wales for us and the dogs, with the first stop being Snowdon. I’ve always been a mountain girl and love escaping there any time I can. I planned for the hike, checked the weather conditions and, with Monty on my front, a backpack of essentials on my back and my dogs at my heel - off we went! We made it about half way up Snowdon before I could see the weather was turning, so I made the sensible decision to turn back to the car. Rather than being disappointed in not summiting and ‘completing’ the envisaged walk, I was elated with our mini adventure and felt a sense of freedom and peace I hadn’t felt in almost 18 months.
The next day I decided to take off walking again. This time to hike the length of a beach I have been to for most of my life, but had never walked the entire bay. Feeling that freedom and empowerment for the second day on the run, this walk resulted in an epiphany; Forrest Gump style, I decided I was going to use my remaining maternity leave to walk as much of the Llyn Peninsula coastal path as I could.
The memories, pictures and videos I have of that time with Monty are utterly priceless. Memories of Monty having milk on a cliff path overlooking islands on a surprisingly hot March day. Videos of Monty’s first belly laughs at the dogs as they zig-zagged around us into the shoreline, when the tide permitted us to walk on the beach. Pictures of Monty, in a Bumbo seat in the back of my car, being weaned on venison burgers as I cooked ‘Al Disco’ with both dogs waiting near his feet for the reward of the inevitable drop.
While we didn’t ‘complete’ the path, we did cover miles, sometimes with friends and family, but mostly as ‘The Dream Team’ of four: Mummy, Monty, Woody and Maggie. Amongst some of the tips, tricks and stories I have to tell, I’ve changed nappies in some remote location; walked in boots, trainers and crampons depending on the weather and terrain; had to improvise to accommodate Monty’s needs while up a mountain; and have figured out the best way to protect your feet when your little one starts to get heavier in the carry case. This last one I learnt the hard way after developing some particularly horrendous blisters…
So, starting from the position that you’re an absolute beginner, here’s how to develop your adventure mindset and begin your family hikes:
Reset your expectations: You do not have to be ‘outdoorsy’ or have years of mountaineering experience under your belt. Adventures with your family do not need to be epic, they just need to be intentional and safe. Your pace is the perfect pace. If the kids kick off, call it a day and try again another time. It really isn’t the end of the world if your walk has to be cut short and you have to go home; there’s always another day.
Start with Micro-Adventures: If you’re stuck for time or apprehensive about whether or not you can ‘do it’, start small and work up from there. Probably best not to have your first foray by attempting the three peaks! Begin closer to home: give the dog a longer walk at the weekend along a different route and maybe stop for snacks or a picnic along the way. Explore your local park, walk to and from your local pub. It doesn’t have to involve driving off to places, adventure can start at home.
Build your adventures up: Make them about fun, not fitness. You can repeat your adventures but add to them each time. Throw in some binoculars to wildlife spot, end with star gazing on evening walks, for older children you can get cheap compasses and maps to help make their walks seem more epic. In the past with nieces and nephews, I’ve added a nominated space on an otherwise monotonous route for snacks. All of these take you out of the mundanity and introduce an element of fun and adventure, which you can continue to build on.
Accept physical capabilities: If you will be carrying your baby or toddler, I do recommend building up muscle at home and practising with your carry case before heading out into the wilderness. It took me a while to get the positioning comfortable once I moved Monty from the ErgoBaby to the bigger, structured backpack. Practising at home helps you iron out anything that feels uncomfortable before you head outdoors. I carried Monty nearly every day from him being a few weeks old and continue to do it now. It means I’ve got stronger as he’s got heavier.
Gear without overwhelm: For any non-mountain adventures, keep your kit simple and you will most likely have everything you need already at home. Waterproofs are essential; thicker and warmer in winter, lighter for the summer. The most important pieces of kit for both of you are: decent footwear, weather appropriate clothing, battery pack for your phone, a first aid kit (for longer more remote walks), a bag full of snacks and drinks, and most importantly, a tonne of patience for you. If you’re the only adult and you have dogs with you too, I would recommend clipping a carabiner onto your keys, bag or carry cases so that should you need to escape the dogs for a moment (bathroom break, nipping into a cafe for a coffee etc) you can clip their leads to make sure they are safe and secure
Enjoy the journey not the destination: While it’s always an achievement to reach a summit, you can still feel a sense of achievement on a walk closer to home if everyone had a good time, you’ve had good conversations, observations and time together. Some of my fondest memories are when Monty and I would just chat while walking along. Our kids just want our time and energy, and when they are physically strapped to you, it’s incredible how rewarding that is for everyone - even when they are screaming the place down
Accept and overcome: every family has arguments, every child has days where they’re simply not in the mood and every parent will experience those weeks where nothing seems to go right. You have to accept it. I’ve had to deal with meltdowns and injuries in remote places, including Woody nabbing Monty’s malt loaf when we had stopped for a snack break. I knew there was no coming back from the epic meltdown that ensued - which was the final straw that morning for little man - and I called it a day as the tranquility of the mountains was ruptured by Monty’s fury.
Track your achievements: I track my routes on my Garmin watch then document each hike onto ‘Monty’s map’, which I have framed, in my kitchen. It’s a great way to keep track of where we’ve been, who came along with us, and gives us a target to work towards - completing the map! Longer term for Monty, and for older kids, it’s also a great way to build an understanding of map reading - which is a life skill too few children have.
It’s really important to celebrate the effort and the quality time you get, not the outcome. It can be hard, especially on those days where nothing seems to go right, but I promise that those are the days where you need an adventure release more than ever. Building hiking memories with Monty has been the highlight of the early ‘Survival Years’ and it’s something we’re continuing to build on now.
If you can find a way to start your adventure mindset, and bring your kids along for the journey, I guarantee it will spark a lifetime of connection with the outdoors for them. Even if you’re tired. Even if your body feels different. Even if the pace is slow and the hike is short because you’ve had to adapt to your little ones’ needs.
So, pack that carrier, lace up those boots, and get out there. Pick a hiking goal - which we can deem your ‘Sofa Summit’ - and begin to work towards it one step at a time.
By
Claire Sads