Which direction - LEJOG or JOGLE?

Before unfolding maps and plotting daily routes, a key decision has to be taken on the direction of the walk. Do I journey from South to North or North to South? Bottom to top, or top to bottom? LEJOG or JOGLE?

Most walkers take the LEJOG option, starting at Land’s End and finishing in John O’ Groats. There are a number of practical reasons for this:   

• The terrain in the South West is flatter and easier under foot than the more rugged terrain in northern Scotland, allowing the walker to build up stamina during the journey.
• Most walkers live nearer to Land’s End than to John O’ Groats, so it’s easier to head for home if they quit in the early stages.
• The prevailing winds generally blow from the south in the summer
• The sun is more often behind you (when it shines!)
• Many long distance path maps and guides are based on south to north directions
• Cornwall is much busier in the summer

After digesting all of this practical data, I decided to buck the trend and chose to JOGLE from North to South.  In part my decision was based on the same factors, but in reverse. My logic was that although the terrain in Scotland is indeed more challenging, I would rather confront this early in the journey and strike a psychological advantage, knowing that the hardest was behind me. The sun, the wind, upside down map reading and congested Cornwall – I would cope with all of this.  But in truth, my decision was largely not based on logic at all – it just felt right that my walk would start at John O’ Groats, starting at the top of the UK and finishing at the bottom.   

So I booked my flights from Heathrow to Wick and, in doing so, hammered in the first landmark and gave my fanciful plans some legitimacy.

Next time: Planning the Route

 

Why John O' Groats to Land's End?

Last summer I read a book called End to End by Steve Blease. It was a humorous account of his walk from Land’s End to John O’ Groats, capturing the highs and the lows of this gruelling journey undertaken by a man who hadn’t done any serious walking in his life. What I didn’t appreciate at the time of reading was that Steve was taking a career break at the age of 50, having worked behind a desk for over 30 years – you’ve probably spotted the parallels already!

However, End to End was probably the most recent of a number of long distance walking challenge books that I have read over the years. The first was John Hillaby’s Journey Through Britain, also from Land’s End to John O’ Groats.  John (who was also 50 when he undertook the walk!) was a veteran of long distance walking and his circuitous journey was completed almost entirely on tracks and bridleways. My original copy of the book was borrowed by a work colleague and never returned, but I’ve just re-purchased it!

Some years later I came to read Two Degrees West by Nicholas Crane, who is more familiar to many as a presenter of the television series Coast.  Crane walks along the line of the Central Meridian (to be precise, within a one mile wide band of the line) from Northumberland to Dorset. He encounters a cross-section of diverse landscapes and people, perhaps unsurprising as the route bisects both remote areas of rural England and the industrial West Midlands.

The final read was a variation on a theme. Peter Mortimer’s Broke Through Britain recounts the author’s walk from Plymouth to Edinburgh. Not an incomplete Land’s End to John O’ Groats, but a journey made without money, relying instead on the kindness of complete strangers for food and accommodation. Probably the most political of books on my reading list, he encounters life on the fringes and observes the widening gulf between rich and poor.

The cumulative effect of these apparently innocuous holiday reads is now evident; their themes have been etched into my psyche.  On one level, the books share a similar plot – a long distance walking challenge in Britain – but at a more subtle level, they all draw on the wide variety of landscapes and cultures encountered on their cross-sectional routes. This is Britain characterised in a single journey, from imposing mountains to remote beaches, from rundown estates to quaint chocolate box villages, from the industrial heartlands to sparsely populated farming communities. There is another common theme – each author encounters a diverse range of people en route, most of them complete strangers. Their observations of interactions with such people reveal yet another dimension of their respective journeys.

So it seemed like a natural outcome. Inspired by Messrs Hillaby, Crane, Mortimer and Blease, I would set out to walk my own cross-sectional journey through Britain. John O’ Groats to Land’s End. Top to bottom. End to End.

 

In my next blog, I'll explain why I opted for this direction of travel.

 
Many thanks to all who have donated so far. For those who haven't, please feel free to contribute via the JustGiving link on this page.

  

Why am I doing this???

Welcome to my blog. In four months' time I'm planning to walk over 900 miles from John O' Groats to Land's End in aid of Cancer Research UK. This blog will be the record of my journey, from planning the route to booking the accommodation, and from embarking on my first steps on the walk itself to hopefully completing this arduous trip at Land's End.

I really hope that you might consider making a donation to my chosen charity, Cancer Research UK, to enable me to reach my target of over £10,000.

On being informed about my planned walk, the reaction of most people is to ask why I'm doing it. Their enquiry is often accompanied by unspoken words, which I interpret through their body language as questioning my sanity. They may prove to be right!

In essence, there are three main reasons why I'm undertaking the walk.

Firstly, after over 30 years working for the same company, I'm leaving ('retiring') at the end of this month. But retirement isn't for me (yet!), so I've decided to embark on a 'project' that would help me transition from my previous working life and look forward towards new ventures in the future. This 'project' had to be a challenge, an adventure that would be both physically and mentally demanding. Some might interpret this as a male mid-life crisis project - perhaps it is, although probably not as dangerous or costly as purchasing a Harley Davidson or a fast sports car!  

 

Secondly, I really wanted to raise some funds for charity. At university and throughout my twenties I'd been actively involved in fundraising for several charities but, as with many people, careers and family gradually edged out this good work. My 'project' would give me the opportunity to embrace others to help to achieve a significant contribution to a worthy cause, in this case to Cancer Research UK.   

 

Finally, I'm undertaking the walk because I have the opportunity to do it. Finishing work has created an unprecedented chance to do something that lasts more than the traditional couple of weeks' annual holiday, but I also sensed that I should embark on this challenge while I am physically able, rather than looking back with regret in the years ahead. 

In my next blog, I'll explain why the challenge I've chosen is walking from John O' Groats to Land's End. In future blogs, I'll share with you the trials and tribulations of route planning and accommodation booking.

 

 

Many thanks to all who have donated so far. For those who haven't, please feel free to contribute via the JustGiving link on this page.