Much has been written about hiking with kids, particularly on the subjects of equipment and technique. In fact, one of the best articles on the subject was authored by Penny Schwyn and is posted here. However, an area worthy of more exploration lies in matching the right hike to the capabilities of a child. The method described here will help you choose the appropriate trail for that weekend family hike.
Have you ever been placed in a position where you are asked to do too much too quickly? A personal example was on my first trip skiing. After two trips down the bunny hill and a couple of minutes of instruction on the snowplow technique, I followed some friends up to the intermediate and expert slopes. In doing this, I learned a lesson about taking on unrealistic challenges.
The model above is designed to help parents prevent this type of situation from happening.
When you are introducing hiking as a new outdoor activity it is important to set attainable goals and avoid taking on too much too quickly. By taking the time to select the right hike, you can ensure that the experience is fun, confidence building, and successful.
How to Use This Model
The purpose of this model is to develop an understanding of your Childs capabilities. On the X axis we have represented distance and on the Y axis elevation gain. Together, these two dimensions compose an overall difficulty profile for a trail.*
By plotting the distance vs. elevation gain each time you hike with your child, you will begin to build a profile of your child's comfort zone.
Starting Out
The first time that you take your child on a hike, select a trail that has a low distance and low elevation gain. When you plot distancs vs. elevation gain on the grid, this point should land in the green zone. Even if you are only out for a short amount of time you want to ensure that success can be attained in the introductory period. The goal when you are starting out is to create a scenario with a high probability of success.
Subsequent Hikes
Keep track of your progress. On subsequent hikes, continue to plot the distance and elevation gain on the grid. Share the collective data with your child. You can use this model to set goals, develop skills and/or proficiency over time, and demonstrate improvement with practice.
If You Have a Problem
If a hike is too difficult, the model can also be used to help explain what went wrong. For instance, if the normal hikes that you take fall into a cluster on one area of the grid, and a new hike turns out to be too difficult because it had twice the distance or elevation gain, you can use the grid to demonstrate how it was different from other successful accomplishments. This is very important because by using the model to understand why a problem occurred, you can help prevent a bad experience from eroding confidence or souring the entire activity.
If you would like to use the graph above, simply right click the image and save to file. You can print the image using your favorite desktop publishing software (word, powerpoint, etc.)
For additional Trailmix.Net family hiking tips, click any of the links below:
5 Outdoor Activities That You can Start Today
Scouting A Trail Using Google Earth
Selecting A Hike for the Whole Family: Three Tips
How to Use the Rest Step To Climb Hills with a Child Carrying Pack
Coaching Children using the Concept of the Dip
*Note: For simplicity this graph ignores trail conditions. When hiking with children, you should also pay attention to the composition of the trail which can also be a factor in overall difficulty. For example, a rocky trail is much more difficult to navigate than one composed of packed dirt.