Hiking with children in autumn A whole new world

If spirits start to wane despite all of the fun and new exper­iences, it’s time for some full-scale diversions. The oppor­tunities are endless, and you certainly know a trick or two from your daily life that you can use. How about singing an autumn song you know, playing hide and seek with the animals, walking on your tiptoes through the woods or simply stopping and letting your nose take in the smells of a forest in autumn. We are certain that such diversions will imme­diately pique your chil­dren’s curiosity and revive the hikers’ spirits.

Our extra tip: To convey a sense of fun and enjoyment of nature to parents and children, LOWA publishes the “LO & WA Adventure Manual” twice a year. Each one of these issues is devoted to a particular country or region. Along with an adventure that the siblings LO and WA experience with their feathered friend LOWINGO in each country, there is plenty of reading material, puzzles, and tips and tricks for things that kids can make them­selves. The adventures can also be re-enacted during the tour or during breaks in the hike together with the fluffy peregrine falcon LOWINGO.

Besides the right clothing, one other piece of equipment is essential: The right footwear. The shoe must fit well and should not press or rub any part of the foot. If it does, you can kiss your dreams of hiking pleasure good-bye. What is really important about footwear in the autumn?

It should be weatherproof if you want to completely enjoy your excursion into the great outdoors. Your best choices are shoes that have a GORE-TEX membrane. There is one other important factor to keep in mind as well: To optimally walk through wet leaves and down muddy trails, your children will need shoes with a profile that can provide good grip.

Hiking is great and can really be a tremendous amount of fun. Hikes are really enjoyable for children when there is something for them to explore and exciting exper­iences await them along the way. And is there anything better than a forest teeming with colourful leaves? Partic­ularly after a few dry autumn days, children can have a great time kicking up the leaves, scam­pering here and there and then kicking up the leaves one more time. In what seems like a blink of an eye, you have moved several hundred metres down the trail, and the youngsters haven’t noticed at all.

But kicking is hardly the only thing that the leaves are good for: Your family can collect an assortment of beautiful leaves, acorns and chestnuts. At home, you can then dry or press them. You can then fill bad-weather days by doing handi­crafts and indulging in memories of adventures out in nature.

Just like any hike, an excursion into the woods with children during autumn requires careful preparation. Above all, you have to keep an eye on the weather forecast, partic­ularly the temperature. You should also not under­es­timate and monitor something else: the level at which snow will begin to fall. Any family that sets off in the proper clothing for a hiking adventure should have nothing to worry about. On the contrary: The first snow of the year will awaken chil­dren’s interest in hiking. If snow is forecast, forest trails should be your first choice because the trees offer some protection and the true treasures of nature like leaves, acorns and friends are found here.

Because the sun sets earlier in the autumn, partic­ularly after the end of daylight saving time, you should always keep an eye on your watch to avoid a stressful way back. You should plan shorter hikes because a hike with children takes longer than a hike without them. But please remember this: Stay flexible!

If you are planning a hike where you want to stop and buy refreshments along the way, you should make sure that your hut of choice will be open. Not every hut is open year round, and it would be a shame if the climax of the hike was, in the worst case, a scene filled with tears and empty stomachs.

Breaks are always a hiking highlight for children and do adults a world of good as well. All you need to enjoy a snack on the trail is a sunny place where you can settle down on a rock or tree trunk. In the autumn, you can add something else to the menu as well: How about a warm hot dog from a Thermos flask and some hot chocolate or tea as a dessert? Throw in a couple of cookies, and you have the perfect autumn trail-side treats.

During the day, hiking temper­atures are generally quite pleasant – not too hot and not too cold. Things can become unpleasant if the sun disappears behind clouds or a cold wind kicks up on a mountain. The rule of thumb here is: Apply the layering principle for both big and small hikers. When children go hiking, they usually get rather warm because they move much more as a result of their short legs and their detours of discovery. Sometimes, however, children forget that they are cold. You should always check with them and make sure that you have taken along enough extra clothing for them.