1. by herself Unless the weather is very, very bad or she's planning on going at night (bad idea anyway) there'll be lots of other walkers enroute, especially at peak times of year. 2. she's not walked such a distance in years and never walked the suggested terrain. You can turn around at anytime. You don't have to do the full circuit. Just need to bear in mind the time and how far you still have to go. Due to the very wet weather and flooded trails my son and I didn't quite reach the top and had to turn back to leave a safe amount of time to get back to the start. On a good weather day the terrain isn't that difficult. The "ladder" itself is a series of rocks with a brook down the middle, almost like giant steps. 3. can't read a compass yet. Unless you lose the trail at the top you won't need one, the ladder itself is clear. You can get a bit lost at the bottom if you're not careful, but keep Kinder to your right and you'll be fine. However, Kinder itself is flat and the clouds can drop like a stone, I'd recommend a compass in case of bad weather at the top if she's doing the circuit. The trails are well marked if the weather is fine and there'll be other hikers around most of the time. Key is know how to read a map as the landmarks will guide her, but it's not hard to learn to use a compass and I'd recommend that anyway, just in case. She can use the one on her phone if she wants to be modern (though note Google Maps won't always update due to the network blackspots). I've done lots of trails round and about the peaks on my own. Key is, don't underestimate the weather or how long a few miles will take (especially up hill and on wet boggy ground). And stick to the well worn trails. When assessing risk, I always consider the poor mountain rescue guys who would have to come up to find me. It focuses the mind. Respect the peaks and you'll be fine.