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