Its still super fun a and scenic. That being said a hard shell of any form would require a lot of portaging. In an IK you can expect maze like navigating through tiny slots and cracks. Not difficult but also not the best for a kid since there is a ton of technical turning and high risk for foot entrapment or just bumping off rocks. Lowest I went was around 190 a few years back just for fun on a hot afternoon. Pack snacks, it will be a full day.