Issue #41 Misc Adventures Digest

The ups and downs of hiking in the mountains with a seven year old

Up until a week ago, the forecast for the weekend looked promising. A few warm sunny days meant perhaps one last shot at a hike with an overnight camp in the mountains before temperatures dip below that which our lightweight summer gear can cope with. As the week progressed, the forecast steadily deteriorated but we still clung on to a little hope, buying spare gas for our stove, stocking up on hiking food and packing rucksacks.

Whilst the rest of the country awoke to sunshine and unseasonal warmth on Saturday, Cumbria lay under leaden skies, shrouded in a blanket of oppressive dullness that hung heavy across the mountains, filling the valleys with thick, seemingly impenetrable gloom. An improving picture was forecast, but although it went unspoken, both of us knew deep down that a miraculous shift in the weather was unlikely; we have lived here for long enough now to recognise the often stark contrast between weather forecast and reality.

Making decisions is hard sometimes isn’t it? We typically try to force ourselves to be bold, even if we’re not quite feeling up to it, and rarely regret the outcome. Yet, we’re also adverse to taking unnecessary risks, especially when considering what’s going to be best for Benji.

The gloom continued to bear down upon us into the early afternoon. We reluctantly shelved plans for camping, deciding that trudging into the mountains along flooded trails and pitching our tent on sodden ground shrouded in thick fog was not the wild camping experience we wanted Benji to remember. Instead, we vowed to rise early and head out for a long hike the following day.

The day dawned dry and bright, although not exactly sunny. I was initially a little annoyed that we hadn’t camped out, but that soon faded once we started walking along paths that ran like rivers and our feet were swallowed by hungry bogs. Camping would have been a very soggy experience and I think we made the right decision.

Our plan was to follow the Eskdale valley towards Esk Hause, where we would loop back around taking in the summit of Esk Pike before descending back down into the valley, following Lingcove beck. We have walked here often, but never quite so far up the valley. It is a joy to follow the river when it rages after heavy rain, offering endless opportunities to watch water cascading into deep pools, the thunderous roar muffling internal thoughts and worries, bringing the here and now into sharp focus. Or to amble alongside it on calm days, when the water is clear and blue and waterfalls pour over rocky edges, transparent like glass, a window into an underwater world.

It was warm and still as we set out, like a humid day in August, yet phenological clues betrayed any illusion of summer; the bracken copper brown; birch leaves bright yellow; acorns crunched beneath our feet; and here and there fungi popped their heads above the damp earth. The route was drenched following weeks of heavy rain and we made unusually slow progress, hopping across the tops of rocks as best we could or sticking to the edge of the river to avoid the boggy patches that threatened to swamp our boots with thick, black oozing mud. Easier said than done for a seven year old. It didn't take long before we gave up on the idea of trying to keep dry and we just had to hope that Benji’s feet wouldn’t get too sore.

As the path winds up, the mountains begin to make their presence felt. Slight Side, Scafell and Scafell Pike come into view, soon joined by Great End with the distinctive form of Bowfell lurking over to the northeast. It may only lay at 380m above sea level, but as the trail levelled out and the vista widened it certainly felt like we had arrived in the mountains.

The river changes character and meanders gently through the empty expanse of marshland that is Great Moss. It flows deep, cool and quiet in some places, or shallow and exuberant in others, passing gravel bars and pebble beaches. It was damp underfoot everywhere and our boots were fully soaked through. We had two river crossings to make - Emma opted to go barefoot to make it easier to help Benji across, and I kept my boots on hoping to hop from rock to rock, which was largely successful, until it wasn’t. We stopped so I could empty water from my boots which poured out like my own personal waterfall. It had taken much longer than planned to get to where we were. Another difficult decision loomed.

We could see the upper reaches of the Esk and the steep gully that would take us up to Esk Hause and then the summit of Esk Pike. It looked tantalisingly close, but Benji’s feet were as wrinkled as raisins and time was against us.

If it was just me and Emma we would have pushed on. Hiking with kids in tow adds another aspect that needs to be planned and accounted for, if you want them to enjoy the experience. It can be frustrating at times to curtail our ambition, until we remember that choosing to include Benji in our adventures is actually rather ambitious in itself. We have learned to always aim high, but to be prepared to alter plans. Most importantly we have learned to not be too hard ourselves if things don’t work out and to be proud of our successes.

We decided to head back the way we came, avoiding any additional height gain and shortening the route by several kilometres. Emma strapped his sodden boots and socks to the outside of her pack and Benji wore his Tevas for the journey back, feeling the saturated moss squelch between his toes as he walked.

Although we didn’t quite achieve what we set out to do, we did have a glorious walk into the heart of the mountains with fun and adventure along the way. We had hiked for over 8 hours - sometimes we can’t believe how far Benji can walk. It’s not always been this way, it has taken time and patience to nurture his adventurous spirit. Now though, watching him at ease in wild places, confident and joyful in his movement fills us with pride and we couldn’t be more happy to be able to share our adventures together.

---

Well, that’s all for this week! It’s feeling colder and we had our first frost yesterday morning. It looks like a sunny weekend ahead so no doubt we’ll be out chasing light and seeking wild things.

With warmest wishes,

Andrew, Emma and Benji

x