Chunda Tours Logo

Welcome to Chunda Tours

"Do what your can, confess frankly what you are unable to do: neither let your effort be shortened for fear of failure, nor your confession silenced for fear of shame." John Ruskin (Works X)

This site is devoted to the thoughts and opinions of Howard Berry. The posts will generally bubble up from the following wells of inspiration:

  • Walking (the process of continually loosing one's balance and hopefully regaining it).
  • The environment
  • Open Source and freedom of Information and communication technology.
  • Ideas.
  • Anything else I find of interest.

The content of the posts do not necessarily reflect those of other members of the disparate Chunda Tours community. If they object to me usurping the Chunda Tours domain, then they will have to wrestle the steering wheel out of my hands!


And so, farewell…

Posted by on 09 Apr 2012 | Tagged as: Uncategorized

Martin Howes on the fells

Martin Howes

It is with great sadness that we heard of the death of Martin Howes whilst he was walking in Tasmania. Martin was often a visitor to the Chunda Tours Lakeland HQ. He was always enthusiastic to tackle a high mountain walk whilst some others were feeling the inexorable gravitational pull of The Goldenrule. Martin was only 51, too young to leave the fells and of course too young to leave his family and friends. All those of us that knew him and shared his company on the fells or mountains take some comfort from the knowledge that he died at the top of a beautiful mountain.

Photo supplied by Tasmanian Tourist Board

 

Oh No.. Not Again

Posted by on 16 Jan 2012 | Tagged as: Uncategorized

Chunda Tours Brochure Cover

Barf and Skiddaw

The onset of January brings an expectant rush to the good citizens of Ambleside. Oh Wind if winter comes, can Chunda Tours be far behind.

This year’s tour begins officially on Saturday 11th February  at 13.00 hours in the Golden Rule.

 

Chunda Tours 2011

Posted by on 17 Feb 2011 | Tagged as: Places

The 2011 cover image

The upper Langdale Valley from near Side Pike

Yes it’s that time of year again. A time when the snowdrops are nodding in the gentle breeze, The late winter sun gives a hint of the returning warmth of spring and extra supplies of beer are laid on at the Goldenrule. Ambleside holds its breath and awaits the arrival of the gentle souls of the Chunda Tourists.

This year we will be staying in the comparative lowlands of Loughrigg Avenue. The tourists will be Howard, Haydn, Angus, Steamy and of course veteran Trail Boss Ian. We will also be welcoming visits by Pete James (no doubt with Hari and Nanouk) and for the first time since he pranged his car on a pimple bagging expedition, the famed peak bagger himself, Chris Watson.

Where's Wally

Where's Wally

Principles of Design

Posted by on 26 Mar 2010 | Tagged as: Ideas

The core of permaculture is design. Design is a connection between things. It’s not water, or a chicken, or a tree. It is how the water, the chicken and the tree are connected.

Bill Mollison Introduction to Permaculture

Mollison points out that it is not the discrete objects themselves that have the greatest importance but the way they connect with other objects or elements that is of prime importance. Elements have characteristics that combine with other elements in such a way as to make the whole much greater than the sum of their parts. I suppose that this is what we may call a definition of ecology.

Often ecological principles are looked upon as pie in the sky idealism and it is certainly the case that there is an element of quasi mysticism which can indicate to some people that it is not to be taken too seriously. There is no whiff of patchouli about Mollison’s theories. They are based on many years of direct observation and a step by step analysis of what works. By using down to earth elements like a chicken, one can begin to see that ecology begins to be something that concerns us in a much more immediate way than the more global aspects.

The principles can be used in many aspects of life as they are about design and design is about the optimum placing of objects in space and time. Therein lies the beauty. Natural beauty is, I think, this complete “rightness”.

Things that cause stress and frustration do so as a result of  their inability to fit in because they are in the wrong place or they are badly designed, or they are deliberately made to avoid integration- often for commercial reasons, think of mobile phone adapters. In nature bad design and poor integration lead to extinction. This is a frightening conclusion for us humans since our existence is now dependent upon poorly integrated and badly designed systems. I refer of course to globalisation.

Live from Chunda Tours 2010

Posted by on 16 Feb 2010 | Tagged as: Uncategorized, Walks

Snowy Ambleside form Milesotnes

Snowy Ambleside form Milesotnes

This is a live posting from Chunda Tours 2010. We have had two full days of low cloud and rain. During the night the rain changed to snow and now we have a winter wonderland scene.

Despite the weather, we have been walking every day. On Sunday Angus, Steamy and Haydn went to the Coniston Group and climbed the Old Man. The ascent was not without incident as Steamy slipped on ice and dislodged a snooker table sized slab of rock which threatened the existence of Haydn. Fortunately everyone lived to tell the tale. The only casualty was Steamy’s boxer shorts , which like the shroud in the temple were ripped from top to bottom. The have been offered to the Ambleside museum to augment their mountaineering memorabilia, We have not heard yet whether they need to be washed first.

2010 Tour Imminent

Posted by on 24 Jan 2010 | Tagged as: Places

Grasmere and Dunmail Raise

Just to wet your appetite, here is a beautiful photo taken by Ian during the 2009 tour.

Chunda Tours hits the fleshpots of Ambleside on Saturday 13th February. Larger stocks of XP and pork pies are being marshalled ready for dispatch to the Golden Rule. Ian and Howard will be arriving at around 1pm and then, as this is the second week end of the Six Nations Rugby,  hurrying over to the Sportsman Bar to watch Wales v Scotland. So Pete, we need you there for your impartial match appraisal.

Windermere

Posted by on 11 Dec 2008 | Tagged as: Places

Lake Windermere from above Troutbeck Bridge

I was struck when reading Wordsworth’s guide to the lake district, that he refers to Windermere as Winandermer. Where did this extra syllable come from and where did it go? Continue Reading »

Thomas Hobbes & Gomorra

Posted by on 11 Dec 2008 | Tagged as: Ideas

We often think of philosophy as a head in the clouds activity. As some one once said to me “It’s like f**rting ‘Annie Laurie’ backwards through a key hole- all very clever, but what’s the point!”.
Well you will see that I do think there is a point ( in fact more that one). So I will use these pages to put forward some reasons for bothering with the ideas of people in most cases long dead. Continue Reading »