Hiking with Kids

If this title strikes you as an illogical pairing of concepts, do not despair. We at Mothering Matters have pooled some tips and experiences to inspire you to take to the trails as better weather finally approaches this year.

As someone brought up with a suburban hankering for bright lights and bus stops beckoning to take me deeper into city culture at every corner – and with parents who even used to drive a block to the neighbours’ house for drinks – I am the last person you would expect to recommend walking for any length of time, anywhere, let alone propose the Great Outdoors for whole day trips with your darling angels. However, I was fortunate enough to be introduced to walking in my twenties by some very English friends on some rather beautiful unspoiled stretches of moor and dale. Therefore, in this age of general obesity and living in the privileged proximity of gorgeous countryside, with well-made trails that can even accommodate buggies at times, I cannot escape the attraction of at least trying to appreciate the fresh air and exercise opportunities that abound in Switzerland, and instilling a better love of nature in our children.

Your options depend entirely on your history and culture of walking as an individual and as a family. If you have experience, you can choose to be playfully laid back about the ventures you are proposing. Find a few suggestions, either in this article, or in other resources for families with children of similar ages to yours. Look up a few routes on the Internet and match the weather on the day to one of your choices, somewhere you can all travel to and from without too much stress. Keep flexible about which hike you will attempt first, so you do not do your first “family walk” in bad weather. Look at blogs to get some ideas, like Moms: Tots: Zurich (by Tanya Deans) which focuses on hiking with kids in Switzerland. She has lots of detailed trail descriptions for family-friendly hikes and a helpful list of tips for hiking with kids.

Throw a few crucial supplies into a rucksack – water, snack bars, money, travel passes and your smart phone. Encourage everyone to take layers of clothing and wear really comfortable shoes. A few hours’ ramble and clamber to a nice view with lunch at a cafe en route, and you’re done. Switzerland is your oyster.

You can do it; we can help!

If you are less than confident, then planning your walk might require a little more mental preparation. Consider where you yourself would really like to visit, so that you feel motivated to cajole your children there and back. Will you give them any choice, or a limited choice, or will it be a big surprise? It could also be practical preparation that helps you, like buying new shoes you are determined to wear, or digging out your favourite waist belt from when you were backpacking, pre-parenthood. A sense of security can be gained from printing out the entire map and route from Google maps – put these into a plastic bag in case it rains or you sweat.

Inspiration

If you are lucky, you might have in your family circle a leader – a mover and shaker, a person who makes you feel like getting out of the house. This need not be you, and it need not be the same person each time. If your eldest child is a pre-teen or a teenager, he or she might want to see mountains where, say, the most people have died in climbing accidents. Did you know, for example, that the north face of the Eiger is known as Mordwand, or “Murder Wall” (oops, sorry if that is off limits in your family)? It is in the Bernese Oberland, which is only 90 minutes away from Zurich and 60 minutes from Bern. Anyway, with teens, do not mention hiking or walking or use any related boring vocabulary. Climbing halfway up the opposite mountain to catch a glimpse of a landmark, or “conquering a peak in the same valley” might be more their style. Older children can walk really long distances and might be willing to make an effort to achieve a goal. One of your children might be excited to see Lucens Castle or tread (carefully) in the shoes of Sherlock Holmes up and down the waterfalls in Meiringen, or check out a Guinness World Record site such as Cham, where the highest Blob Jump in the world took place!

Imagination

Play to your audience! Creative types might respond better to descriptions of natural settings or an aspect of the planned experience that strikes a chord in their imagination. Sensitive to colours? Compare the striking blues of the Brienzersee (Lake Brienz) with the Walensee (Lake Walen) on different trips, taking a camera to photograph the lakes. Every excursion in Switzerland can be turned into a walking opportunity and even combined with a pleasurable boat trip or a cultural exploration.

Show your family websites before you plan your trip, such as MySwitzerland.com (in many languages).

If you read some German (or can handle Google translate), try the Schweizer Familie site for walks that are good with children, such as the one called the Märliweg (Fairytale Trail) in Urnäsch, Appenzellerland. From the site given above, click on “Wanderungen” (“Hikes”) to see a list of regions to hike in. Check the box of the region that interests you, and hey presto! A list of family-friendly hikes.

You might need a supporter, a positive person who will not argue with every idea you have. Prepare them carefully beforehand, eliciting emotional support. Discuss how wonderful the day could be, and think ahead about how to respond to other family members’ objections.

Babes in arms?

Babies and children pre-walking age can be carried in a carrier or even a buggy, as so many routes are easily navigable in the Swiss countryside. Choose a flat walk around a smallish lake such as the Greifensee, with a cafe and facilities and playground at one end. Or take the Forchbahn (the S18) from Zurich to Forch and walk down to the Hotel Sonne in Küsnacht, which has a beer garden and playgrounds in the nearby park.

Toddler Trouble

Children aged two and up can be encouraged to walk a kilometre or more; the main risk factor, of course, is their behaviour and mood. If you take a sturdy stroller or buggy they may get no exercise at all, but without one they can become a liability! You really have to consider what you need to remain a sane parent and whether your child’s needs have to come first before setting out with a toddler and no emergency vehicle. Balance may be achieved if you have a car, by packing the stroller into the boot and taking it out once your child has had as much of a walk as he or she can manage. Don’t forget to tell other carers how much your child can happily walk, as this will prevent them resorting to the stroller too soon when they are with him or her.

The “ME” age

Children aged three to six can be tempted, cajoled, entertained and persuaded to join you. It is often as simple as your being child-centred and entering into the “me”-ism of this stage in life. Turn trips and walks into mini-holidays with picnics, or take a hand-drawn treasure hunt map with you where X marks the ice cream kiosk!

You will be a proud parent if, like a Girl Guide, you are prepared. Find a route with interesting features at regular intervals – the Planetenweg (“Planet Trail,” but the linked website is in German) up on Zurich’s Uetliberg, or the Klangweg on Toggenburg looks amazing and sounds interesting (excuse the pun – Klang means “sound” in German). Andrea Snashall found this website for Lucerne with a “Family Hikes” page which is partly in English – they have some nice “adventure trails.” Even a Beetle Trail and a Joke Trail are listed! In German they are referred to as Erlebniswege. Andrea adds:

Sometimes my seven-year-old has had enough of walking, but I find that if I have a stash of bribes, that usually helps: “If you can walk for 10 more minutes, you can have a lollipop.” By then, her mood is usually changed anyway. Also it is good to have an end reward such as a swim or a hot chocolate and cake in a restaurant. The kids love cooking sausages over a fire, which of course is typically Swiss and is a good motivation, to boot.

In the next phase of life (ages seven and up), children often turn into phenomenal collectors, which lends itself to gathering as you go, with small bags and pre-agreed limits such as “as many as you can stick on two pages when we get home.” This is also a time to tell and re-tell stories as you walk, and draw on anyone you know who can stack their stories full of facts and details to be absorbed by the amazing memories children sometimes develop at this stage. Take a ball or frisbee along for the breaks in your walks, too.

If sibling issues threaten your fun, do consider inviting a friend or two along with children the same age. Simply breaking family patterns can result in a pleasant walk free of constant wrangling. You as the parent(s) must be disciplined and talk with the adults so the children really have to face the walk together. Play dates beforehand are always a good idea, so you can work out how the dynamics are likely to go.

Beyond this age you can really start to plan longer walks and be more adventurous. Be brave and try hiking for a whole weekend! Read more in Mary Bider’s feature in this issue about staying overnight in a mountain hut for an ambitious weekend or holiday outing.

Happy Hiking!

Compiled and knit together by Monica Shah, with contributions from Mary Bider, Andrea Snashall, Tanya Deans and others. Photos by Monica Shah.