What Lake District mountain to climb with a 4 year old?

Forecast looks good for this weekend, reckon I’ll pop over to the Lakes for the day with my lad. Thing is, which mountain should we climb?

He made it up Catbells no problem last september, got up Place Fell at Easter. I’m wondering if he’d find the climb up Grizedale Pike from Braithwaite too boring?

Scramble at the end might be a bit much (longer than any bits on Catbells but not hard)

Fairfield from the Ullswater valley?

I always enjoy at trip up Lough Rigg

I’ve every confidence he can do it, if he wants to. My worry is keeping up the interest, so a good ridge walk and clearly visible “top” will help. Along with lots of chocolate based bribery…

Grisedale is an excellent choice. There are some more interesting routes I take our kids on through the woods – if you sort of follow the route of the south loop using the fireroads, you’re on the right track. Their final scramble is also the exciting bit for them – I tend to sick to the right hand side with mine as it’s often the more sheltered option. We always shoot straight down the wall on the return journey – by far the quickest descent (although never, ever be tempted to ride it. It’s the dullest descent in the lakes).

Thanks Tiger. Spot on.

We always shoot straight down the wall on the return journey

I presume you mean straight down into the valley to the mines?

I presume you mean straight down into the valley to the mines?

Sorry ir_bandito – that was a bit vague ! There’s an un-named ‘ridge’ with an old wall running it’s length, right down to a gate in the tree line at Whinlatter. Pretty much follows the red line in this image:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/parkedtiger/7752984416/

Causey Pike.
Fleetwith Pike from Honister

Blencathra would be a great choice, up doddick or hallsfell, very dramtic after a couple of hundred feet, very steep so doesn’t take long to get to the top. Both on a ridge and halls fell ridge ends right at the summit but doddick fell is not so dangerous. If you come back down scales fell, you can take in the lovely scales tarn and the dangerous sharp edge towering above. Free parking at scales.

Apparently as a kid I climbed Ingleborough and some Marines were trudgeing up the other side, apparently they didn’t look too amused at my gloating and “na na na na naaa naa I’m the king of the castle” routine as they got to the top, guess they’d walked a bit further!

haystacks

Old Man of Coniston? Have a nose about in the Copper Mines en route?

Cheers all.
Sticking to the northern fells as its easier to get to.

Plan is Blencathra. Up Mousethwaite Combe, follow the Glendaramakin underneath Sharp Edge, then up to the top round the back. Then down Scales Fell, possibly to the tarn, or back to Mousethwaite Combe.

Its a walk we’ve done a million times, so my 38-wk pregnant wife is comfortable with it (she doesn’t fancy Halls Fell).

Grisedale Pike route incl the wall is saved for next time Tiger!

And “King of the Castle” gets played on every large rock we see 🙂

+1 for Causey Pike.

It has a ridge walk and a bit of a scramble, plus fantastic views of Derwentwater and it’s not too long.

Maybe another time. Have fun on Blencathra.

Blencathra was ace!

[/url]
DSC_0013[/url] by ir_bandito[/url], on Flickr

Bit cold on the way up with the windchill (hence the coat and hood) but he made it all the way, and managed to run back down:

[/url]
DSC_0044[/url] by ir_bandito[/url], on Flickr

Is your son a giant?

That mountain in the first picture looks tiny.