29th August 2026
“Travelling in the company of those we love is home in motion.” (Leigh Hunt)
Starting out backpacking with my child is like a whole new experience. In recent days, myself and my 8 year old daughter have been slowly eating up the miles along the Limestone Way, backpacking, camping every day and gradually getting used to life on a trail. It is not my first time as I hike a long distance trail every year but it was Ella’s and although she enjoyed it as much as me, there were definitely some challenges throughout the experience that I would like to share here.
I had always been hesitant about taking Ella long distance hiking but after constant asks, stroppy sulking for hours, tearful hugs every time I set out on a new adventure and serious tellings off for not taking her with me, I finally decided to give her the benefit of the doubt. It wasn’t as easy a decision as one may imagine. In her younger years I had more reasons not take her than to bring her along, her age, the distances involved and the difficulty of the trails playing a huge part.
“Two of the greatest gifts we can give our children are roots and wings.” (Hodding Carter)
I hike trails around the UK and many that I have embarked on would definitely not have been suitable for such a young, inexperienced hiker. That said however, that doesn’t mean Ella hasn’t had experience of hiking. She’s walked with me for years in Sheffield and local areas and over the last 2 years, has done some more challenging day hikes in the Peak District. She has had significant exposure to Peak District landscapes way before she ever first stepped her feet there, due in part to me hiking with her in a sling from a very early age. I feel this is why Ella loves the moors now and why she feels as enthralled by it all as I do.
So where do I start then? What trail could I possibly use for Ella’s first experience of trail hiking? These were 2 of the many questions I asked myself. There are simply loads in the UK to choose from, however finding a good one that is suitable for an 8 year old developing hiker is a different matter.
“It’s good to have an end to journey toward, but it is the journey that matters in the end.” (Ernest Hemingway)
Then I considered the Limestone Way, a 46 mile national trail across the white peak of Staffordshire and Derbyshire in the Peak District National Park. The original trail guide states that the starting point is at the base of Cave Dale in Castleton and ends in Rocester, however we began in Rocester and headed south to north. There were 2 reasons I did this: the first is that I had heard the scenery is less flattering nearer to Staffordshire on this route and I hoped for more to look forward to as the days went on. Secondly, I wanted us to carry the feeling of hiking home. In layman’s terms, the trail is not long for an experienced and fit hiker with the usual average time taken to complete being 4 days. However, due to Ella’s age and fitness, I spread it out over 7 and planned lots of rests, stop offs and some sightseeing.
Did Ella last the full week on the trail? No, of course she didn’t and I was fully prepared for this. As much as I planned for our hike, I spent the same amount of time planning our escape if anything went wrong, how we would get home, how far away the nearest villages with bus stops were and making notes of places of refuge should the weather change drastically and we were no longer able to continue our journey. These are all things which have to be considered for anyone but with a young child I had to be meticulous.
“Childhood isn’t for sitting on the sidelines. It’s for doing hard things. For building confidence, resilience and curiosity.” (Restlesscrucade)
After 4 days on the trail averaging about 7 miles per day, she was absolutely shattered and had had enough. As much as she had loved it, kids naturally become quite bored and everything caught up with her. What she did succeed at however was utilising her strength to push through the tough 4 days on foot despite hot weather and some quite challenging terrain, being consistent with the repetitive rigmarole of waking up and packing away while slowly becoming accustomed to the routine of backpacking a national trail. It cannot be easy for any child to grasp that concept and I know how I have felt on previous trails, it gets very tedious as the days go on. In my honest opinion I feel she did very well and I for one am extremely proud of her.
“May your adventures bring you closer together, even as they take you far away from home.” (Trenton Lee Stewart)
The trail then… what is it like?
The Limestone Way in my view is extremely deceiving. It might only be 46 miles across the white peak but limestone landscape isn’t the easiest terrain to hike. As an adult who has never hiked the trail before until now, I can say it definitely has its moments from my point of view which took even me by surprise. Our days on the trail were short but with Ella they took forever. Obviously i couldn’t hike at my usual pace (which I didn’t mind) but it meant we were on our feet for a lot longer and I had the additional stress of carrying the weight.
Due to another person being with me, I had to pack more gear and extra sets of clothes. This in turn made my pack considerably heavier. It sure wasn’t easy for me and it came as a shock how so much more tired I felt as the days went by. Ella did have a small rucksack containing her sleeping bag, water bottle and waterproofs and for a normal night’s wild camp she’s usually fine. However, her shoulders are not yet trained for multiple days carrying weight and after 2 days the straps hurt. So I ended up carrying her bag as well as my own.
Being constantly on the ball with a kid in tow in an unfamiliar place is also mentally taxing. You are constantly meeting their needs, hiking at a snail’s pace, checking their feet and overall health. Fatigue is another issue that creeps up suddenly with kids and I was constantly checking for signs of this with Ella as due to her autism, she doesn’t always say until it is too late. I hate to admit it but I found myself neglecting my own needs because I was to preoccupied with Ella.
The trail itself is beautiful. It is the perfect show of traditional British countryside culture. The views are amazing especially over areas such as Lathkill Dale and Dovedale where you can really appreciate the Limestone landscapes. The little quaint villages you pass through are also stunning and people there and who you meet on the trail are immensely kind and more than willing to help. It is definitely a hike I recommend if you are seeking an adventure teeming with history and traditional old English themes.
What comes as part of the package however are lots of gates and stiles (and I mean lots!) It is something to bear in mind when you are carrying a huge rucksack. Also be prepared for lots of cows and livestock. I have to admit I have never done a trail with so many cow fields and if you are a person who is nervous about cows you may find that like me, you add distance onto your hike trying to dodge them.
On day 5 of our adventure, Ella awoke in the morning and I just knew that she was burnt out despite her having a good night’s sleep. She still had that itch to hike but I saw that look in her eyes… It is not a look that is always easy to spot because it is not like the usual sleepy kid look. She was still running around the campsite and playing with other kids on the play park but that look was there nonetheless. It is a look that I have seen many times before on other long distance trails like the Pennine Way and West Highland Way respectively. A look that discreetly says that you’re done. I knew then that it wouldn’t be fair to let her continue. She had done so well and it was the right decision to make whilst the going was still good.
So as this piece nears its end I will say that I loved every minute of hiking with my little sidekick. It has been one the best experiences of all my hiking days. My only hope was for her to enjoy the journey and learn a few things and that we both did. Like I said to Ella on the bus home, she didn’t fail. She grew… and the beautiful thing is, the trail is always waiting for you for as long as you are here in this life. You can always come back.
Thankyou for reading.
“In the end, kids won’t remember the fancy toy you bought them. They will remember the time you spent with them.” (Kevin Heath)
Adventure Snatch 