Kids and hiking.

obi604

Have a 7 year old who loves hiking.
Done Diamond Hill, Abbey Hill, Moylussa, Lackavrea, Mount Gable, Slievecarran, Maumean

Would he be ok to tackle Croagh Patrick?

obi604

any thoughts on this?

Wabbit Ears

Croagh Patrick is relatively easy. Its steep but nothing a 7 year old with hiking experience cant handle.

Id also recommend Sliabh Foy in Carlingford and Sliabh Binnion In the North. My 8 year old has done both.

obi604

Wabbit Ears wrote: »

Croagh Patrick is relatively easy. Its steep but nothing a 7 year old with hiking experience cant handle.

Id also recommend Sliabh Foy in Carlingford and Sliabh Binnion In the North. My 8 year old has done both.

Nice one, we may give it a blast so. Hard to know sometimes if climbs are suitable for kids

fjon

Should be absolutely fine if she/ he has the stamina!

obi604

fjon wrote: »

Should be absolutely fine if she/ he has the stamina!

plenty stamina alright, unlike me

athlone573

To give a full picture, Croagh Patrick has loose scree which can easily twist an ankle or cause cuts.

Wabbit Ears

Indeed, Ankle hiking boots are a must IMHO.

Also, its very exposed, you can get very strong winds and it can get cold quick. Treat it like a proper mountain hike, bring hats, gloves, raingear etc even if the day starts out beautiful.

Last time we did it it was perfectly clear when in the carpark. By the time we got to the top we had 1 meter visibility and it was baltic cold.

obi604

Wabbit Ears wrote: »

Indeed, Ankle hiking boots are a must IMHO.

Also, its very exposed, you can get very strong winds and it can get cold quick. Treat it like a proper mountain hike, bring hats, gloves, raingear etc even if the day starts out beautiful.

Last time we did it it was perfectly clear when in the carpark. By the time we got to the top we had 1 meter visibility and it was baltic cold.

Thanks for this. So need to be prepared for weather changes.
Looking forward to it now. Looks lovely. Highest one for us to climb.

josip

Looked nice up there yesterday when we were passing on the way to and from Mweelrea.
It always seems to me to have slightly better weather than the surrounding area.
Might be Pat's influence
I like about Croagh Patrick that you climb from sea level so you earn every metre of the mountain.

I agree with hiking boots for adults, but I'd be open minded about them for children.
Kids in my (limited) experience are less likely to twist an ankle than an adult, they're younger and more supple.
If the kid has a pair of runners that they're comfortable in, a climb like Croagh Patrick which is dry all the way, might be more enjoyable for them in runners than in a pair of heavy hiking boots.
Also an injury on Croagh Patrick where there are lots of people, has a better 'worst case scenario' than on a more remote mountain where there may not be anyone around to help.
You'll have a good idea what works best with your children.
For any boggy hikes, I'd go with boots for the kids.

obi604

Have a question about myself. I see there are hiking boots that generally seem to go above the ankle……
and then hiking shoes that are just the standard type shoe below the ankle.

Is the hiking shoe just a waste of time or does it have a function?

Seems the common sense thing would be to go for a hiking boot over a shoe?

KAGY

obi604 wrote: »

Have a question about myself. I see there are hiking boots that generally seem to go above the ankle……
and then hiking shoes that are just the standard type shoe below the ankle.

Is the hiking shoe just a waste of time or does it have a function?

Seems the common sense thing would be to go for a hiking boot over a shoe?

Hiking shoes are good for trails where the ground is even, eg roads, coilte access roads etc. Much lighter.
Hiking books if on uneven ground where you need lateral support or if the mud/puddles are over shoe height

James 007

Not a necessity at all, you can do it in your bear feet;)

KAGY

obi604 wrote: »

For Croagh Patrick, are hiking boots really a necessity?

Seeing as people have done it in their bare feet and for hundreds of years in non technical shoes etc.

They do it for penance and punishment:-)
I personally would, as it's easy to slip on the scree, and I'd have a pole too, but I've seen people in sandals and runners.
Like any safety gear you only miss it when something happens.
In saying that, a comfortable pair of well fitting, stiff soled shoes would probably be fine.

josip

obi604 wrote: »

For Croagh Patrick, are hiking boots really a necessity?

Seeing as people have done it in their bare feet and for hundreds of years in non technical shoes etc.

I think it comes down to what each individual feels most comfortable in, but the only place on Croagh Patrick that I've found hiking boots to be advantageous is on the way back down the scree section.

Off to the side, the scree is much smaller and gives way predictably on each step.
With the boots on, you can just go for it with 5 metre strides and be down that section in a few mins.
https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/9871/scree-running

obi604

Hi. Thinking of doing the 12 o clock hills in Clare on Tuesday. With wife and kids aged 6 and 7, they are used to climbing, they did croagh Patrick during the summer

is 12 o clock hills doable this time of year?

What is the terrain like, mainly path or is it mucky, boggy etc

obi604

Another question. Would an 8 year old need hiking shoes/boots?

I guess kids are are fairly nimble and light and don’t necessarily need them or I could be completely wrong.

josip

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118424137#Comment_118424137

Depends on the going. If it's wet and boggy, which most routes would be this time of year, then it would be better to have boots so that they're not miserable with wet feet all walk long. It there are only going to be a few wet/boggy patches, then go with runners and they can be given a piggy back where needed. Some like to have the kids booted for scree also, but we usually don't.

embraer170

Took my 7 year old up Carrauntoohil (in summer). Got her hiking boots from Decathlon and felt better about it than the the other kids I was seeing in trainers.

She loved it and wants to it again. Particularly loved going up the Devil's ladder part, and wants to try going down that way sometime (we went down the zigzags).

obi604

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118424410#Comment_118424410

thanks. Would hiking SHOES or BOOTS be better for an 8 year old?

josip

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118445365#Comment_118445365

Apologies for equating hiking shoes to runners in my previous answer, but in my opinion they fulfill a similar role. I don't know if kids will benefit much from the stiffer sole of a hiking shoe compared to a runner. And the hiking shoe will be of no benefit for boggy terrain and for ankle support.

Considering how quickly they grow out of shoes at that age and the boggy nature of so much of the uplands in this country, I'd rely on runners and hiking boots.

obi604

So you reckon hiking boots (higher up the ankle) as opposed to low cut hiking shoes (same concept, just not as high on the ankle) are better for kids

obi604

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118438726#Comment_118438726

woah - thats good going for a 7 year old !!

In general, if you had a nice day in the summer, is it relatively safe for an 8 year old like my lad who has a bit of experience.

He has climbed a few hills over last couple of years like Croagh Patrick, Diamond hill, Moylussa, Lackavrea, Bouleevin, Slieve Carran, Mount Gable, Cashel Hill, Gleninagh etc

Tabnabs

For my kids we use hiking shoes for normal terrain, the stiffer soles are a much better protection for young feet on stony surfaces than street trainers. For boggy areas we swap the shoes out for rubber boots with a second pair of extra thick socks inside them. In my experience, kids hiking boots are no match for upland bog areas. Adults generally are more cautious than kids when walking across this type of terrain.