Canada comes 2 Stockport, UK

Saturday 11th February 2012 saw me bound on a train for Stockport Plaza to see a number of adventure films shown at the prestigious Banff Mountain Film Festival in Banff Canada in November 2011. Some 300+ films featured in the Festival and the very best of these films have been selected to feature in the Tour which will be seen across 7 continents, 35 countries and 700 other audiences.

Over 900 people turned up (a record number in the UK) and there was a buzz and exciting ambiance in this unique venue as the first film was shown on the BIG screen with magic clarity and excellent sound effects. Thousands of people have become “hooked” on the exploration, courage and at times the foolhardiness featured in these amazing films. Having been at the Kendal Mountain Festival last year I well knew the passion for adventure that is experienced during a screening and vivid memories will always remain. I was excited as to what was to be shown and all being AWARD films, I well knew we would be in for a special treat – I was not disappointed.

I want to comment on three films that I thought were very special:-
• Cold On Feb 2nd 2011 three climbers made a winter summit of Gasherbrum11 (the world’s 13th highest peak), one of Pakistan’s 8,000 metre peaks for the first time. The immediacy of the footage and the ferocity of the climb are totally inspiring. Just wonderful. I was with the climbers all the way to the top (half way) and back down again!
• Kadoma This was a kayak journey (some two months) through Central Africa by three kayakers that had me sitting on the edge of my seat though the entire 42 minutes. I have never seen so many and such large, terrifying and fast rapids. Dangerous wildlife was always around as well as unpredictable soldiers. Alas “Hendri” Coetzee, the leader, got into trouble with his kayak and was attacked and killed by a crocodile. The cinema was in total silence as the audience grasped the horror of what had happened so quickly.
• Obe & Ashima Guided by her bouldering coach Obe, 9 year old Ashima from New York has got a unique ability to climb and at such a tender age it was totally amazing what she can do. Anyone interested in climbing should watch the film.

Roll on next year. Order your ticket early or you will miss the show.

14th February 2012

"A White Lake District" 27th to 30th January 2012

Friday 27th January was Liverpool Trekkers first walk of the year and Fairfield Round in an anti-clockwise direction from Ambleside at 10am was the challenge - 17kms (10.5 miles) with a total ascent of 1,050m. As we leave Low Pike and head for High Pike we are in 4/6 inches of snow and it is not long before we are in near “white-out” conditions and much deeper virgin snow as we make our way over Dove Crag, Hart Crag and on to the massive flat top of Fairfield and at 873m (2,864ft), the highest point of the day. Careful navigation by Lee gets us safely to the top and from here we take a further compass reading to take us to Great Rigg, then Heron Pike and finally Nab Scar; a Wainwright count of eight!

At the back of 5.30pm we are all in The Golden Rule for a well earned pint. Some of the Group are going home while others are staying over for a night out on the town.

After the winter conditions of Friday, Saturday turned out to be a lovely sunny day with such clear visibility. Today the challenge is to get to the top of Loughrigg Fell which proves to be a lovely walk with lots of people on the Fells. It is then a long walk to Silver How, coming back to the start point of Rydal by Grassmere and Rydal Water. Starting at 11am I was back at the car at 4pm after such an enjoyable day.

Sunday was another good walking day – a little colder on higher ground and not such good visibility. Helm Crag was the first Wainwright of the day, “raising so abruptly” from the village of Grassmere. The Fell is affectionately known as “The Lion and The Lamb” and may well be the best known of the Lakeland Fells. The summit is altogether a rather weird and fantastic place. There is a remarkable array of rocks, some upstanding and others fallen and getting to the top of the two towers needs to be done with care. It was then on to Gibson Knott and Calf Crag before making a decision to turn right and head for Steel Fell. It was a steep decent off the Fell down to Mill Bridge and the A591 where my car was parked. Starting off at 10.15am I was back at my car at 2.50pm. This was an exhilarating walk with wonderful views all around and such beauty looking down on Grassmere. Underfoot it was frozen ground and ice and in places deep snow.

Monday morning saw me back again to park at Grassmere Village and today I had my winter boots on and crampons in my rucksack as I hoped to reach as far as High Raise and take in a total of four Wainwrights. My first stop of the day was at noon at Easedale Tarn below the cliffs of Tarn Crag with the Fell fully reflecting in the icy waters of the tarn. From here it was a steep walk up to Raw Pike and then to Blea Rigg my first Wainwright of the day. I was in deep snow and all around was basked in sunshine and such clear visibility – it was a white wilderness with few walkers to be seen. Looking ahead to Sergeant Man I realised this was going to be a demanding route and I was delighted to reach the mountain’s top at 2pm. Two walkers were having a quick lunch in a sheltered spot just below the top and it was ever so cold. For me I was pressing on as I wanted to get to the trig point on the top of High Raise and I was there at 2.20pm. The views were wonderful. I was back on the top of Sergeant Man at 2.40pm for a second time and decided that my best way back was to head for Tarn Crag and continue on the ridge back to Grassmere. This was ever such an enjoyable part of the day with the sun on my back and casting massive shadows of my profile across the deep snow I was making my way through. By 3.40pm I was on the top of Tarn Crag my last Wainwright of the day. By the time I reached the valley floor I was in darkness but on a good path and by 5.30pm I was at my car and having sandwiches etc which I should have stopped and enjoyed on the hills!

Alas my time in the Lakes had terminated and I had a two hour (110 miles) journey back to Chester. I was well satisfied with my Wainwright count.

31st January 2012

The Outdoors Show – Excel, London & other activities - 12th – 15th January 2012

Friday 13th January 2012 saw me at the Outdoors Show once again. As well as the Outdoors Show you also gain entry into the Bike Show, the Boat Show and the Active Travel Show. I went round all shows and very much enjoyed my seven or so hours there. This year I did resist the temptation of buying a new bike!

Saturday 14th was a visit to Borough Market, look round the very busy Market (I think the biggest in Europe) and I had a pint in The Rake. It was then a walk by the Thames to the Tate Gallery and a walk across the Millennium Bridge to St Paul’s where I looked at the now established “camp site” and listened to some of the speakers on the Cathedral’s steps.

Staying in Islington (a great part of the City) I was able to try out some of the many bars and restaurants. A new experience was trying out the Kurdish Restaurant - Gem - at 265 Upper Street. I found it excellent value with good food, wine and service. Quatme (bread) with various fillings (e.g. onion, herbs and parsley) was a starter and Incik (lamb shank with vegetables) being the main course. I also tried a portion of Bulgur Pilva (cracked wheat) and enjoyed it. A complimentary sweet of ice cream and sweet cake followed.

I discovered a good bottled Ale (brewed in Chicago, USA) – Goose Island Honker’s Ale. At £4.60 for a standard bottle you must not drink the contents too fast!!

Sunday morning saw four of us bound for the Chiltern Hills, an hour’s ride on a train out of London. We were starting our walk from the village of Great Missenden with a walk of some 14.25kms through the chalk downs back to Amersham. It was a lovely sunny day all day, although cold with a white frost underfoot. We passed through the ancient village of Little Missenden and stopped at the Squirrel Pub for lunch in the village of Penn Street. I enjoyed a couple of pints of Young’s Winter Warmer – sheer nectar. At times we were on the South Bucks Way and the Chiltern Trail. What beautiful countryside. We had walked for five hours. We caught the Metropolitan Line back to Kings Cross. My very first walk in The Chilterns and I hope I will be back.

The Millennium Trilogy

A few months ago I was given three large books to read (each having 700+ pages) and told to read these in the correct sequence:

• The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo


• The Girl Who Played with Fire


• The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest.

I finished reading the last book yesterday and I have to say this is as good as crime writing gets. When I started I did not think I would finish one never mind all three. All are exhilarating reads and Stieg Larsson had me totally gripped all the way through. Each time I picked up a book I new I was going to enjoy the content and at the same time giving you so much food for thought. So well worth reading.

10th January 2012

A Review of 2011 & Festive Greetings

The year is about to end and we are all preparing for the “Festive Season” and welcoming in a New Year – 2012. I hope it has been a good year for you.

For me the year has flown and has been crammed with activity. This month sees me 10 years retired from the Bank and with the continuing difficult economic conditions across the world I decided to shut down my own Company due to lack of business and continuing costs and any consultancy work I do in future will be in my own name.

Highlights of the year have been many and here I mention some of them:-
*3 Coast2Coast (“C2C”) bike rides:
-Runcorn 2 Hull
-St Bees 2 Robin Hood’s Bay
-Fort William 2 Inverness (Great Glen).
*A C2C walk from Ullapool in the west of Scotland 2 Ardgay on the east coast some 55kms and thoroughly enjoyable and challenging in one day.
*I got to the top of 134 mountains across the UK/Madeira and a special delight was to finish all the high mountains in Sutherland on the top of lonely Ben Hee in July.
*I competed in two long distance races in Isle of Man:
-Parish Walk – 85miles
-End2End Walk – 40 miles.
*I competed in the Welsh 1000m Mountain Race, finishing once again but alas half an hour outside the nine hour time window. My fellow walking friends Geoff and Paul finished within the time with Paul winning the Male Vet 40 Section in a splendid time of 7hrs 24mins.
*I put a lot of effort into the Welsh 3000s Challenge (15 mountains over 3,000ft) and did this demanding walk over two days on two occasions. Alas on the day of the challenge four of us pulled out but Paul finished the route in an excellent time of 13hrs 25mins. So well done by him and encouragement for me to try again in 2012!

I hope you have a lovely Festive Season, health, happiness and continued success in 2012.

Very best wishes, Fraser.

21st December 2011

Winter Fitness

With the cold weather that now abounds it is all too easy to let your daily exercise plan fall by the wayside as to a large extent happened to me last year. For some reason or other at the end of October I stopped going out on my bike? I continued with walking, the gym and swimming but the frequency of activity abated. This year, this is not going to be allowed to happen and my exercise plan follows four main fitness paths with also a careful watch on what I eat and drink:-
Cycling – continue to cycle once or twice a week with min of 20kms on each outing
Walking – continue to walk at least one a week
Walking – do a fast walk of 20kms+ once a week to prepare for 85 mile Parish Walk in Isle of Man next year
Gym/swimming – go to the gym and have workout/swim at least twice a week.

On Monday 28th November I went for a fast walk into Wales on a beautiful day. I reached Yvonne’s Café nr Connah’s Quay and called in for a bacon butty and coffee. Then it was back to my gym (Total Fitness) on a circular route by the River Dee and by the canal. I watched a large buzzard, saw two salmon jump and saw a flock of (unknown) birds going from tree to tree, as in a race with me. The winter colours all around were fantastic; silence prevailed.

Today Tuesday December 6th at 3.30pm I set of on the same route again but on my bike and while a very nice late afternoon with the sun about to say goodbye at the end of another day, it was extremely cold. I reached Yvonne’s Café at 4pm having done 12 kms but alas at that time it was closed so it was about turn and get back to Chester along the banks of the River Dee. The almost full moon was reflecting on the calm River Dee and the lights of the City could be seen in front of me in the distance. The same flock of birds were again racing me from tree to tree but they were difficult to see in the fast disappearing light. I was all on my own and my hands, especially both thumbs were freezing as I was peddling at around 20 kms+ per hour. I had flashing lights to the front and rear of my bike but I could also have done with my head torch but knowing the route I was okay. Getting back to Total Fitness at 4.45pm I had difficulty folding my bike etc and getting it into the car as my hands were ever so cold. Having camped at Gorak Shep at 5,140m/16,859ft.feet on my Everest Trek my hands had been warmer! Thus my winter mountain cloves will accompany me on my next trip. It was just magic to get into the warmth of the gym and into the steam room!

6th December 2011

Kendal Mountain Festival - November 2011

We linked two days walking/scrambling with visiting the Kendal Mountain Festival for the first time. Kendal has the largest and most diverse lecture and live event programme of any mountain festival worldwide. It is a busy time in the town and you need to book your accommodation well in advance. We stayed in the lovely village of Staveley where you will find a few B&Bs, the Eagle and Child pub which has excellent beer and food and also Hawkshead Brewery with all its lovely beers.

On Thursday 17th November it was an early start from Chester and we commenced the Kentmere Horseshoe (one of the classic horseshoe walks of the Lake District) at 9.15am on a day with dense low cloud and this only clearing on lower ground around 2.30pm. We made good use of our map and compass to check that we were on the right route. At 12.45pm we safely reached High Street at 828 metres, which we also wished to take in – its summit being the highest point in the far eastern part of the National Park. The fell is named after the Roman Road which ran over the summit. We did ten summits before returning to our car at 4.30pm.

On Friday we started our walk from Rydal at 9am on a wet and windy cold morning, alas again with dense cloud. Not a day for scenery and perhaps just as well as the climb out of Rydal to Nab Scar is very steep. At 11.50am we reached Fairfield 873 metres our highest point for the two days and it was ever so wild. Getting our bearings correct we headed for Hart Crag 822 metres. Here in the dense cloud we some how or other came off the main Fairfield Round path and when the cloud cleared on the lower fells we found ourselves heading for Patterdale on a demanding and difficult route and arrived there at 3pm. We were able to get a local taxi to take us back to our car. The good thing was that we dealt with the situation in an organised way and we were able to do six mountains. Tonight it was Kendal Town Hall for 7pm as it was the Premiere of the film “Moonflower”; with Matt Helliker and Jon Bracey climbing and filming their ascent of the Moonflower Buttress on Alaska’s Mt. Hunter.

The Hall was packed and there was an “air” of excitement and anticipation as ace filmmaker Alastair Lee came on stage and gave an overview of the film and its making. The film itself I found totally inspiring with magic photography and sound effects and new technologies used to capture the amazing images of this most demanding climb. I was on the mountain every step of the way with the climbers. An interesting question and answer session was held after and I had the opportunity to meet with the climbers and the film crew. I have bought a DVD of the film and I have watched it on a couple of occasions since the event.

On Saturday !9th I had two events to attend. The first was by Nazir Sabir at 11am at The Box with the title – “Pilgrimage to the Higher Heavens.” Nazir is a renowned Pakistani mountaineer who over a climbing career that spans four decades has climbed four of the five 8,000m peaks in Pakistan, including K2 via a new route. In 2000 he stood on the top of Everest, the first Pakistani to scale the roof of the world. He described his up bringing and showed slides of the beauty of the valleys and mountains in Hunza where he was born. He was so humble and appreciative of the packed audience that listened to him. It was a great pleasure to say hello and shake his hand.

In the evening at the Brewery Theatre at 6pm Cameron McNeish and Richard Else were delivering a talk and unseen footage about a new long distance trail from the Scottish Borders to Cape Wrath in the North West corner of Scotland. I have walked on parts of this new national trail and I found the presentation very interesting and something I might try to undertake myself at a future date.

Kendal is a lovely town and I was totally impressed with the range of facilities available to facilitate such an enjoyable and diverse Mountain Festival over three and a half days. I very much enjoyed myself as did everyone I met. It is an annual event for like minded people to come together, have a great time and enjoy the wonder of wild places that the Festival shows you. To me an inspiration to do more in the years ahead.

www.mountainfest.co.uk

20th November 2011