Land's End to John o'Groats - 2010 - LEJOG - End2End - Chris Minors

Lands End to John o’Groats….Done!

Chris — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 17:06:42 +0000

We made it!

What a fantastic trip I’ve enjoyed every minute…even the hills and the rain! We left the hotel fully recouped and fuelled by a full Scottish breakfast. The midges began to swarm so we made a quick exit towards Bettyhill.

Sheep on the road

Very much up and down all the way to Thurso. Once we started to see signs for John o’Groats excitement began to set in. Quick stop for lunch (macaroni scotch pies are amazing!) and we began to count down the miles.

We arrived at about 4.30. Took plenty of photos then found the bar!

We’ve met some lovely, amazing and crazy characters along the way. The scenery at times has been breathtaking and I’ve visited so many places which I want to come back to.

I’d like to thank everyone who has helped along the way….especially Victoria for letting me disappear for two weeks.

Also a big thank you to everyone who sponsored me. I think I’ve raised over £1000 which is great. If you’re reading this blog and fancy giving some money to a worthwhile charity click the button to the right.

Just got to get home now!

Av 13.3 mph
Mx 36.4 mph
Tm 5hr 37min
Dst 75.3 miles

So close….

Chris — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 11:57:42 +0000

Not far now….no back brake, one bald tyre and only a handful of gears working! No stopping us now.

Dig deep….

Chris — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 21:09:03 +0000

Tough day….left the youth hostel and said goodbye to nessy. As we left a few cyclists told stories of a massive hill towards Beauly. The gradient was terrifying. Only just managed to cycle all the way up, with one stop along the way.

Both feeling quite tired today….probably a result of the 115 miles we cycled yesterday. The wind was also beginning to pick up as we approached our destination. Concerned about the distance left to John o’Groats we considered the option of doing more miles today. After a few phone calls, and a generous offer of accommodation, we headed 30 miles further north to Altnaharra. The road was totally unforgiving with strong headwinds. We arrived at our hotel at about 7.30pm totally exhausted.

Definitely the right move putting in the extra miles today. Tomorrow will be far more enjoyable now. Concerns over the weather and distance have gone. Last day tomorrow it’s gone so quickly!

Today’s stats:
Av 12.8 mph
Mx 33.2 mph
Tm 7hr 6min
Dst 91.5 miles

Today’s food:
4 cereal bars, 2 bananas, 2 bottles of lucozade, 1 boost, 1 twirl, 1 tuna sandwich, 2 pork pies, 2 boiled eggs, 1 pepparami, 2 bags crisps, 1 bag of jelly babies, 1 plumb, 1 apple, 1 pear, 8 digestives, 4 ginger nuts, Scampi and chips, 3 litres of water, 2 cans of coke

Loch Ness…

Chris — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 21:18:58 +0000

Big day 114 miles from Inveraray to Loch Ness. We set off at 7pm knowing we had a long day ahead of us. The morning started with a big climb into the clouds. The road was flanked with snow stakes which is never a good sign.

The scenery just seems to get better everyday. The mountains were awesome today. Luckily our route skirted round the bottom of them tracking enormous lochs.

We came across John the paramedic and his boys several times again today. They are hoping to finish early on Thursday which is pretty crazy. We stopped at Fort William for an elite athletes lunch….Mc Donald’s! So wrong yet do good. The last 40 miles dragged on a little. Probably a consequence of lunch! We did see deer and a few birds of prey along the way.

We arrived at Loch Ness after some 8 hours in the saddle. This hostel is great. I’m basically in a wooden shack on the beach right next to the loch. I’ll probably be eaten alive tonight by midges!

Forecast looks very wet tomorrow but the wind is in the right direction. We won’t talk about Thursday yet! Carbisdale Castle tomorrow which should be good.

Today’s stats:
Av 14.3 mph
Mx 31 mph
Tm 7 hr 57 min
Dst 114.2 miles

View from the shack – Loch Ness