If you have kids and you love the outdoors, you may have made one of your resolutions the quest to get them interested in it too.
That need not mean waiting until the nice spring weather arrives, of course. A kid’s thermal base layer will help keep them nice and warm as they stretch their legs in the countryside.
However, if you are going to get them truly interested in the hills and not put off, it is a great idea to pick the right sort of summits to go after. Much as it might be a great thing for them to boast about at school, the reality is that they are unlikely to go from beginner status to scrambling up Striding Edge just like that.
For this reason, it is worth picking some gentler challenges in your nearest upland area. In 2020, TGO Magazine produced its own list of “the Top 10 hills for kids”. This included some classics, like Mam Tor in the Peak District, Windy Gyle in Northumberland, Caerphilly Mountain in Glamorgan, Ben Ledi in the Trossachs and High Rigg in the Lake District.
Some of these peaks can still help contribute to a lifelong habit of walking, by getting them started on a tick list. For instance, Ben Ledi is a Corbett and High Rigg is a Wainwright.
Indeed, if you want to go down this route you could even get them started on some of the very easiest Munros. For example, Carn Aosda by the Glen Shee ski resort can be climbed in 45 minutes from the roadside, while it can be combined in less than four hours with two more Munros - Carn a’ Gheoidh and The Cairnwell.
By getting them started now and making sure they are warm and comfortable, you could make 2022 the year your kids get hooked on the outdoors for life.
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