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May 2008 found us clipping into our pedals at Land's End, a mismatched group cycling all the way to John o'Groats for Princess Alice Hospice. We'd only met once before at a fundraising event, but somehow by the time we started, friendship was already taking shape. That's the thing about a 900-mile cycle ride — you either become mates or you don't.
When the group finally reached John o'Groats, I couldn't quite call it quits. A day trip to Orkney followed — boat and bus combo — before I headed home. The whole journey ran on fuel that might surprise you: Dairy Milk 1kg bars, which became our de facto unit of distance. One bar per segment, the maths worked out perfectly.
It's funny how these trips work. You're grinding through them, living moment to moment, barely noticing the enormity of what you're doing. Only when it's done do you realise what you've actually pulled off.
Places Visited
- Sennen (Land's End), Cornwall — 1 night
- Exeter, Devon — 1 night
- Street, Somerset — 1 night
- Ross-on-Wye, Herefordshire — 1 night
- Clun, Shropshire — 1 night
- Hollins Green, Cheshire — 1 night
- Ribble Valley, Lancashire — 1 night
- Cumberland — 1 night
- Wanlockhead, Scotland — 1 night
- Arrochar, Scotland — 1 night
- Glencoe, Scotland — 1 night
- Inverness area — 1 night
- Culrain, Sutherland — 1 night
- Wick, Caithness — 1 night
- Sandwick, Orkney — 1 night
Stats
| Dates | Saturday 17 May – Sunday 8 June 2008 |
|---|---|
| Countries | UK |
| Duration | 23 days |
| With | Group charity ride + solo Orkney day trip |
| Distance | ~3,100 km |
| Route | Land's End → Exeter → Somerset → Ross-on-Wye → Shropshire → Cheshire → Ribble Valley → Cumbria → Wanlockhead → Arrochar → Glencoe → Inverness → Culrain → Wick → Orkney |
| Charity | Princess Alice Hospice |
| Transport | Bicycle |
| Temperature | 5–18°C |
Photos
