UKC

Hi.

I'm returning to the Lakes after 20 years away, this time with kids in tow. I'm looking for a couple of easy but interesting ghyll scrambles, something to get them excited and wet in the glorious summer weather (it's still blisteringly sunny isn't it?)

Stickle Ghyll is a shoe-in as there is always an out either side. We're staying in Coniston so I was hoping for an explore up Tilberthwaite Ghyll but as I recall it gets a bit exciting in the middle so a no-go for first timers. There's a great beginners scramble up the west of Thirlmere but I can't remember if it's Dobgill or Middlesteads.

Any ideas for easy scrambles for 10 year olds would be great thanks

In reply to Pigmy:

Mill Gill below Pavey Ark is pretty good - you can join it anywhere out the back of the ODG and work your way up steadily choosing the best line. There are two dodgy bits - a long, slightly sloping terraced fall that is climbed with the fall cascading over the holds; while the holds are quite positive (or at least flat) it would be gripping for a kid and a bit difficult to ensure safety. Fortunately there is an easy path just to the right. There's a narrowing further up that again can be avoided. The upper parts are very positive and a cool location above a small runnel, great fun and with many positive jugs that kids will romp up happily.

b

In reply to Pigmy:

Ooo I wouldn't take a young kid who is incapable of making responsible decisions scrambling. I took my dog scrambling and got roasted for it.

Have fun anyway, that was tongue in cheek^ I'm sure you'll get some good suggestions

In reply to zimpara:

eh?

Meanwhile, another option for fun kids scrambles are the rocky bits on Catbells, and maybe Belles Knott above Easedale (cool pointy little summit and big holds over grassy ledges). Approach to that can be via Sour Milk Ghyll, which I seem to remember was pretty easy (but didn't do it thinking about kids scrambling at the time).

And now I think of it, I think Stickle Ghyll and Mill Ghyll are one and the same. Oops! Further up the valley is Stake Gill but it was a bit slippery for kids when I was up there a few weeks back.

b

In reply to zimpara:
It may have been tongue in cheek but I think you have a point, if your going to do something more difficult than stickle ghyll with kids a rope is a really good idea

In reply to John Kelly:

Yup, it might be easy but imagine watching your child tumble off an edge.....

In reply to springfall2008:

Brutal mate. Really brutal.

In reply to zimpara:

>Brutal mate. Really brutal.

No, it's just sensible. Scrambling with kids is brilliant. But you need to realise that if they're not on a rope then it's also really dangerous. You can kid yourself if you like...


Anyway. Will the OP have a rope? I'd suggest you should take one as it opens up so many options. There are bits on Mill/Stickly that you'd be nuts taking small kids on without. Don't get me wrong, 99.99% pf the time they wouldn't fall and probably wouldn't be scared, but that's not really the point.

We did Mill gill when the kids were 6 and 8 I think. Decent spotting covers the first hard but short pitches low down. A quick rope covers the long bit further up.
This year we did some amazing stuff. Sourmilk from Stonethwaite in Borrowdale was good, but the absolute highlight by a clear mile was the Upper Esk. It was proper real world classic type stuff. It's about 2km long and just goes on and on. Lots of swimming across lovely pools; lots of climbing up waterfalls; lots of lovely dry rock pitches; lots of difficult traverses followed by unplanned swims. It was absolutely gobsmackingly good. We overtook two big groups of guided blokes, probably on a stag do. What they did looked so lame. Anyway, the kids loved it (8 and 10 y) and me and the wife loved it. (Killer walk in though)

We also did one just south of Keswick near Falcon crag. Not great but ok.

And an amazing one in Patterdale

And a couple of others. But I wouldn't have liked most of them sans rope.

In reply to Pigmy:

Would a child know how to spell dyslexia?

In reply to Lusk:

Thanks benb,

OK so there are some great suggestions on here plus the usual naive parenting advice. I will not strap my lad to a rope on Stickle Ghyll. I'll teach him to read the situation, choose his route, test his capabilities and reward him when he chooses to walk past the hard bits. It's a training scramble where you let them explore in a controlled environment.

Popped up Stickle Ghyll yesterday. Flowing very heavy for a summers day after Thursdays rain. But we had such fun. Even traversed the lower plunge pool which I desperately wanted him to fall in to!!

Sourmilk Ghyll is our next stop. Picnic and wild swim in Easedale Tarn.

And to springfall2008 - perhaps the Lakes is not for you. Gorifying accidents is pathetic. I won't wrap my kids in cotton wool.

In reply to Pigmy:


I wasn't gorifying anything, I was just agreeing that there a times when it's better to be safe and have a rope. That's for you to judge the risks, but when you are judging for someone else you have to play it safer than for yourself.