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Peter Burgess
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Friday, 30 December 2011 |
 Visiting my brother and family in Arbroath gave good opportunity at our mutual suggestion, to climb the most eastern Munro. Mount Keen is the last bastion, a final rise in a high plateau land finally diminishing in altitude as the land falls in altitude to narrow coastal plains north of Dundee. As part of the Angus Glens, Mount Keen is a popular summit and with ease of access from the beautiful Glen Esk, four of us set forth in the light of early dawn. |
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Peter Burgess
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Friday, 09 December 2011 |
 Continuing a recent sojourn in Cumbria, I again utilised the YHA and this time stayed at Buttermere. What a hostel! It was a real treat to stay within such a fine establishment and the view I awoke to was spectactular. With a vista across the lake to High Stile and Red Pike, evening dinner and breakfast wasn't bad either, with a fine bottle of Jennings before retiring to bed! Packing up the car, soon saw me at Rannerdale and the prospect of paddling across Crummock Water to attack Mellbreak direct. |
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Articles
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Monday, 07 November 2011 |
 As some of you are already aware, I set off for Lakeland a couple of weeks ago with 12 Wainwright fells left to climb. It really came as a bit of a surprise to me that I ever reached this stage! For many years I only managed to get a week's stay in Lakeland once a year & it doesn't seem long ago that I decided to have a go at completing. Read the news about Angela completing her 214! |
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Peter Burgess
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Wednesday, 02 November 2011 |
 As a child I was lucky enough to inherit a great book from the then Bishop of Cumbria, Thomas Bernard Pearson who was also the Founder and Life President of the Achille Ratti Climbing Club. In the pre-Internet age, the photographs in the book really captured my imagination. Views such as that showing the huge overhanging cornices on Braeriach, the snow-covered castellations of Sail Mhor rising above Coire Mhic Fhearchair and a brooding view of Suilven from Elphin really stirred my imagination. Very soon, I was able to put the book to good use as a reference for a walk on the Five Sisters of Kintail when in the Sixth Form. I have used the book on a few occasions since, but I knew I had to take it with me to Aviemore this summer. Turning through the pages, I considered whether I was fit enough to undertake Ken Wilson's epic day walk taking in the Cairngorm four thousanders and with hindsight I am so glad I did. |
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Articles
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Wednesday, 02 November 2011 |
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 "I climbed Grasmoor as my last Wainwright fell with my husband and daughter. It was a spectacular day, which was good as the weather had been so windy for a few days, in fact I've never known it to be so windy and we've had some pretty challenging days over the last couple of years whilst completing the Wainwrights. Some of our long weekends have meant taking in 12-15 Wainwrights at a time regardless of weather as not being locals we can't just pick our days, we just have to go for it. Most of my trips to the Lakes have been by public transport over the years which has made it more of a challenge but just recently it's been good to have my husband accompany me with walking and navigating with the GPS which has taken away quite a lot of the pressure." CG
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Peter Burgess
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Monday, 31 October 2011 |
 A recent trip to Scotland had me chomping at the bit for some hill and munro magic! With a few days on the shores of Loch Eil I had some canoeing in mind as well as one eye fixating on Ben Nevis, Britain's highest mountain and which looms over Corpach like a huge arching magnet. However, as I perused the map and read a few guidebooks, it was soon the nearby Mamores that had set their names into my planning for my first mountain day. With a great drive up Glen Nevis one sunny morn, my decision was affirmed by an aged, grey haired, Fort William man, "Aye laddie, you're better off going up here. These are fine mountains!". |
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Articles
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Friday, 25 March 2011 |
 I DID IT…… I Completed the Wainwrights!
It all started in March 1999. My then girlfriend and I had just got together and she wanted to go away for a week in the Lakes. I’d not been to the lakes since I was a kid, but the promise of homely pubs and great food convinced me! |
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Community News
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Wednesday, 08 September 2010 |
 On Saturday 4th September 2010, Neil Haslewood (also of the OFC) completed the ascent of all 214 fells in Alfred Wainwright's 7 Pictorial Guides. This is a fine fellwalking achievement and on the day he was joined by 16 friends to mark the accomplishment. I hope you can join in with some of the fun by reading on here to see just how the day turned out. There's also a link to the Loweswater Show which finally took place again this year... |
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Peter Burgess
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Thursday, 02 September 2010 |
 A walk out with my brother Paul and James Hoye of the OFC. This was a longer route than anticipated after James suggested the ascent. The route ascended from Rydal church via Nab Scar, Heron Pike and Great Rigg. We had fun at the summit brewing tea and taking photographs of Peter's new map, 'Tubular Fells'. It will also be memorable as the first major ascent after our father's death - the short associated video is a tribute to him. |
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Peter Burgess
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Tuesday, 31 August 2010 |
 I wanted a short sharp, but interesting ascent for a recent visit to Lakeland. Parking up at the summit of Kirkstone Pass, I eye-balled the skyline of Red Screes and took note of the obvious gully that leads up from the screes towards the summit. With my bag packed and the car secured I made a beeline for this potentially exciting line of ascent. |
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 The continued good fortune of being in Cumbria along with good weather, continued again on this outing, as a few OFC again gathered in Coniston. My intentions were not to stay in Coniston, but with £100 to give to Coniston MRT it seemed logical to overnight in Coniston for two nights in order to make the best of my time. Robbie K had already contacted me to say he would join me and Lorraine also hinted at a walk out. However, as with all things, matters can change but I was mighty pleased when those who said they would walk did so. Along with myself, Robbie, Lorraine and even Steven P joined me on the long ascent of the Walna Scar Road from the village. It really was a magic morning! |
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 This year I planned to be in Coniston over the Remembrance weekend. Great Gable, for many years my object of ascent on this iconic Sunday seemed a distant peak and so for practical purposes I set my sights on the summit of Great Carrs where I had visited the Halifax memorial on occasions before. With hindsight it turned out I was glad to ascend the mountain this day with four fellow OFc members, for although Great Gable was again graced by a large throng for the FRCC service, the top of Great Carrs saw but 9 to remember 8 brave men of the Canadian Royal Air Force who died there in October 1944. |
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| HAVE YOU SEEN? |
 COMPETITION: Since the centenary of Alfred Wainwright's birth in 2007, there has been a massive resurgence in interest in the man himself. With the revival of the Pictorial Guides as a result of being saved by Frances Lincoln Publisher, the recent televising of Wainwright's Walks with Julia Bradbury and the formation of the Society in his name, there has been renewed enthusiasm for anything AW. Along with Hunter Davies biography of Wainwright, this new book also announces itself as the biography of Alfred Wainwright. This review (with competition) focuses on Wainwright, His life from Milltown to Mountain by W.R.Mitchell. |
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 With the advent of a recent poll examining people's favourite lakes proposed by David Dimmock, I thought it a good prompt to review an excellent book portraying charts of the English Lakes. Remarkably, despite the name, most books on our beloved district encompass the high fells and walking. However, John Wilson Parker has gone some way to correct the balance with this excellent atlas. It really is a worthy addition to the shelf... |
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"I'd just like to say what a great weekend it has been and thanks to everyone who made it such a great time." Liz Lemal on the Honister 2007 weekend
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