Story
STOP PRESS : 3rd September 20:20 p.m.
Land's End reached mid afternoon on day 14, Saturday 1st September! Over 950 miles actually cycled!
After a well deserved pint Hamish and James thought they had earned a bus ride back to the camp site at Penzance but the bus driver thought differently so it was back on the bikes for one last ride.. Sunday and Monday to be spent lazing around before taking the train back home on Tuesday.
Day 12+1 (superstitious!!)
Had a hard day today facing into the rain and wind along endless dual carriageway!! Only 80 miles to go now. Set up camp South of Launceston. Depending on our motivation we may try to complete the job tomorrow!
Day 12
'Easy' day today says Hamish after they cycled a mere 53 miles from Bristol to Cullompton and settled down to a bbq at the campsite!
Day 11
Cycled 78 miles today to just south of Bristol. Enjoying a pizza buffet which is great value for big appetites like ours. Only 3.5 days to go!
Day 10
Reached Stanford Bishop near Bromyard to enjoy the luxury of a bed and bath at Paul and Janet's house. Slight twinge in the back of one knee but no real problems and still no rain.
Day 8
Arrived in Wigan this afternoon after a 76mile day from Orton in Cumbria. Only 6.5 days more cycling to go! Couple of easier days ahead before a 70 something day. We are looking forward to not having to cycle the next day.
Roadkill total= 125!! Mileage so far=546!!
Day 7
The good weather continues. Left Scotland (see picture) and reached Orton and set up camp outside the pub.
Day 6
Just south of Moffat now. Hamish says it gets less tiring on their legs the more miles they do. Will leave Scotland tomorrow and pass the half way mark in miles. Och aye the noo, lang mae yer lum reek, haste ye back etc!!
Day 5
Arrived in Glasgow by 1pm so plenty of time for James to buy another rack and front bag and Hamish to get a tool to repair his chain. Weather still excellent. Off to Moffat tomorrow ( if it's not illegal)! Thanks to Ally for circulating news of the ride to all at Piccotts End.
Day 4
Very hot day today. James' rack and Hamish's chain broke today but still managed to arrive at Glencoe on schedule. Looking forward to a real bed in Glasgow tomorrow !!
Day 3
Clocked up their 186th mile today! Hamish says " I've never cycled 186 miles before, feeling sore but good about the trip!". They have arrived at the Loch Ness Visitors Centre and have discovered that "Nessie" is made of Fibre Glass!!! Weather still good. (Note from Hamish's mum - don't believe it - Nessie's real, but shy.)
Day 2
Got to Dornoch Firth campsite, a distance of 67 miles frpm Wick, in just under 8 hours including stops. Weather dry but windy, which slowed them down a bit. Expect sore 'behinds' tomorrow!
Day 1
Hamish and James had an excellent first day getting used to their "steeds". They have covered 39 miles to day from Thurso to John O'Groats to Wick. Weather fine and they are in good spirits !!!
Hello from Hamish
We (Hamish and James) are cycling from John O' Groats to Land's End this August in aid of the Mountain Rescue service and Cancer Research.
We caught the train from Hemel Hempstead up to Thurso (last station before John O' Groats) on Sat 18th August and began cycling on Sun 19th.
The trip is entirely self-supported, so we are carrying all of our camping gear with us as we cycle.
We will be camping almost the whole time and as a result the length of our cycling day depends on where the campsites are located. The shortest day is our last at a meagre 33 miles and the longest, a leg-burning 78 miles (made worse by the 9 mile climb up to Shap in Cumbria).
This page is dedicated to raising money for Mountain Rescue and you can visit James' page for Cancer Research here: http://www.justgiving.com/scottycycles
I was introduced to the mountains of Scotland, England and Wales through Scouts and thoroughly enjoyed every expedition. Over the last few years I have continued to train and improve my mountaineering and climbing techniques and I hope to take this a stage further by qualifying as a mountain leader.
Even if you rarely visit the mountains it's a great idea to donate to the Mountain Rescue service since the majority of callouts are from those who only visit occasionally.
Furthermore, school and youth groups often visit mountainous areas in pursuit of awards such as the Duke of Edinburgh and it is essential that Mountain Rescue are around incase something goes wrong.
For more information please go to:
http://www.mountain.rescue.org.uk/mrc/
Please donate generously and we'll do our best to make it from one end of the country to the other!
If you would like anymore information about our ride or how to donate please email me at hamdunn@aol.com