Haighs do the End to End full report

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Dorthy Gallagher
5 years ago
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101014 The day prior to leaving: Haighs do the End to End full report Packed and set to start the next morning, Dad, Tom & I set off from Bickleigh with all our gear

We had to pitch the accommodation at a campsite close to Land s End in order to enable an early enough start on the first day to squeeze the miles in.

1 The day prior to leaving: Haighs do the End to End full report Packed and set to start the next morning, Dad, Tom & I set off from Bickleigh with all our gear ready, three bikes on the rack and the trailer-tent (TT) hitched up. We had to pitch the accommodation at a campsite close to Land s End in order to enable an early enough start on the first day to squeeze the miles in. Tom broke down the route into specific days, recording waypoints that we would need to hit along the way, ensuring that we kept to the route that we had planned We had our picture taken at the sign (stating the distance to John o Groats, New York, London etc) then set off. 1

We started cycling at 07:30. We were fortunate enough not to encounter any rain on the first day and it stayed a pleasant temperature all the way to Bridgewater, thankfully.

We experienced our first hold up nearing Exeter when I got a puncture and Tom started to encounter gear-shifter issues.

2 We started cycling at 07:30. We were fortunate enough not to encounter any rain on the first day and it stayed a pleasant temperature all the way to Bridgewater, thankfully. From Cornwall to Exeter the entire route was on the A30 and so this did not require too much navigational nous. We experienced our first hold up nearing Exeter when I got a puncture and Tom started to encounter gear-shifter issues. We popped into the Bike Shed in Exeter and asked them to have a look at the problems. We continued then on the A38 from Exeter to Taunton and after that, Bridgwater. That evening we stayed behind The Watchfield Inn, Highbridge. We arrived there at 20:05. Total mileage was 178 from Land s End to Watchfield (plus an extra few miles done around Bridgwater due to lack of signs). We had travelled at an impressive 16.6 average mph for the first day. Mum and Dad (M&D) had set up the TT and then went home, as Mum had swimming training on the Saturday morning and Dad didn t need to stay in the tent for any more nights than absolutely necessary! A few adjustments were made to the 2

bikes for the next day and then we turned in. 101016 In the morning it was cold, damp (from dew, not rain thank goodness) and above all, we were feeling the effects of the previous day s saddle time.

3 bikes for the next day and then we turned in In the morning it was cold, damp (from dew, not rain thank goodness) and above all, we were feeling the effects of the previous day s saddle time. We aimed to leave at seven o clock but with a few things extra to do before we departed, we managed to leave at a respectable 07:20! M&D drove back up to Watchfield, set down the TT and then drove towards the next stop, which was a campsite in Cotebrook, near Tarporley, Shropshire. The route on the second day continued on the A38. There was a ma-hou-ssive hill towards Bristol, which was a great way to ease into the second day s mileage! Signs for north of Bristol tended to send us towards the motorways, which is not the sort of roads we would feel safe, or legally be able to travel, on. We managed to get back onto the A38 and continued out of Bristol. We lost quite a bit of time navigating around the cities because the main roads go right in to the heart of the cities/ towns and then sign posting through them seemed to stop. On the way to Tewkesbury, Tom suffered a puncture as result of running over some shards of glass and so this was another 30 minutes stopped (including lunch break). We continued on upwards and went through Tewkesbury and Worcester. We pressed on to Kidderminster and experienced our first real shower of rain. We threatened to get the orange waterand wind-proof capes out, but luckily the shower passed without drenching us too much. We weren t entirely sure how long it was going to take to reach the campsite, but from what we thought, it was just beyond Whitchurch. Oh how wrong we were! Dad came by bike to meet us at Whitchurch, from which, it was still another hour and ten minutes! Dad led us to the campsite. We arrived at 21:15 and had done 175 miles Sunday! Meaning that there was very little traffic on the roads early on, which we very much enjoyed. We rose early for a 07:20 start. We headed to Warrington on the A49. Dad had planned for us to meet a cycling friend of his, Pete, who is heavily into long distance rides. Audax is the premier long-distance UK cycling organisation (see for further deets) that he does his rides with and sometimes he cycles distances of 600km (373 miles) in one sitting meaning that he can be on the bike for up to 36 hours at a time A. May. Zing! We met with Pete in Standish and continued through to Preston and Wigan with him. It was in Standish that we saw a signpost for a place called Haigh unbelievable scenes. Pete s guidance was invaluable through the big cities and we shot through these using his local knowledge and direction. 3

After a lunch stop, it started raining again D oh! The next town was Kendal, after which, we had been reliably informed, there was a monster hill that ascended for 8 miles.

4 After a lunch stop, it started raining again D oh! The next town was Kendal, after which, we had been reliably informed, there was a monster hill that ascended for 8 miles. We were advised by Pete to stay off the busy routes to avoid any inconsiderate road users. The A6 took us to Kendal. After a couple more hours riding we were welcomed to Scotland by heavy drizzle and night fall and continued on to where we were due to stay. This turned out to be further than expected and team morale spiralled into oblivion as the rain continued, the night became colder and we became fainter and fainter as we were out of food! Throughout the day Tom s right knee pain was worsening and he tried compensating by putting more load through his left leg; he subsequently developed pain in his left achilles as a result of this. We eventually arrived at 21:00 after having totalled 165 miles and averaging The campsite was in Ecclefechan, near Lockerbie and we settled down for another cosy night in the TT We left the next morning at 07:25. From the start of the day it became apparent that Tom was struggling with his worsening injuries. This really affected our average speed on the 4th day. Things went from bad to worse for us, as the terrain we encountered was the most demanding we had faced out of all the days so far. There was an abundance of hills to climb, the headwinds were picking up significantly and the rain started to pour down, which meant we got the capes out (seriously snazzy garments!) which severely reduced our speed! 4

All the above contributed to the worst conditions we had endured to date. Unfortunately, the conditions only exacerbated Tom s already agonising knee pain.

5 All the above contributed to the worst conditions we had endured to date. Unfortunately, the conditions only exacerbated Tom s already agonising knee pain. I couldn t believe the determination, grit and resilience he was exhibiting purely because he wanted to complete the ride to satisfy his personal targets and succeed for the cause. As we approached Glasgow, we eventually made the decision to call it a day at 19:00 after covering a commendable 90 miles, considering the situation. This seemed the most sensible option at the time, as otherwise Tom might have sustained a long-term/ permanent injury. Because it was dark and there was no chance that we were going to make the target of Fort William that night, Tom & I got a lift from Dumbarton to the campsite in Fort William, in order that we could still be where we would have been, had injury not significantly hindered our progress on that day. We only had an average speed of 11.2 mph and so this didn t allow us to complete the necessary mileage for that day. I decided that the most feasible option would be to make the equivalent amount of miles up either on the way back home (on Wednesday) or round a suitable length route after we had arrived home so at least that one of us had done the equivalent of the total distance required. The unforeseeable circumstances that had arisen on the 4th day really scuppered our plans to complete the ride together and this caused a great deal of anguish and disappointment. We set up camp at the penultimate site and settled in for the night I set off at 07:15 towards Inverness, from our Fort William base, alone. The scenery change was dramatic as it got lighter and I was able to soak up the views that the A82 provided. I passed Loch Lochy (that s its actual name), Loch Oich and the infamous Loch Ness. 5

Dad joined me around Foulis castle approximately 15 miles after Inverness to support me through what was to be the toughest part of the ride, period.

The weather turned nasty as we traversed the steepest of hills through Balnabruich and beyond. We faced a sleet storm, which after around 10 minutes turned to slush and kept falling.

6 Dad joined me around Foulis castle approximately 15 miles after Inverness to support me through what was to be the toughest part of the ride, period. With the wind picking up I was able to draft behind Dad, which was useful seeing as I had been battling with it for around 90 miles prior to this. The weather turned nasty as we traversed the steepest of hills through Balnabruich and beyond. We faced a sleet storm, which after around 10 minutes turned to slush and kept falling. We wanted to get off the hill as soon as possible to escape the abominable conditions. We could only manage to get to Wick (the nearest town to John o Groats 17 miles away) that night because of the undulating terrain on the A99 and because it was getting seriously cold. Therefore, we needed to find a hotel for the night, as the campsite we were originally going to stay at was far too far away. We checked into the Norseman HOTEL and took advantage of the warmth and facilities what a luxury! 6

101020 The rain continued to pour down and it was freezing cold on the last 17-mile stretch, but it was well worth it when descending on John o Groats.

7 The rain continued to pour down and it was freezing cold on the last 17-mile stretch, but it was well worth it when descending on John o Groats. The Orkney Islands were in full view, as the sun illuminated them through the clouds. To conclude, to cycle from dark to dark (plus a couple of extra hours each day) was a thoroughly challenging, yet hugely enjoyable experience and we certainly now appreciate how far away everything is compared to the online route we planned! Many thanks must go to our support team M&D for providing their unwavering support and assistance, without which, we would not have been able to even consider attempting this trip. Also, thanks must go to all those that have sponsored us: from the facebook group; those who have heard via s from M&D, Tom and I; from people that donated monies whilst the support vehicle was stopped in petrol stations and lay-bys. We are now 57% of the way to achieving our sponsorship target. Here is the link once again for those that have not managed to donate yet: And below is the facebook group link for anyone that wasn t part of the group whilst we were doing it, but would like to see more images and the daily updates, the day after they happened: = We hope that you have enjoyed reading about the trip and again, many thanks to everyone who has sponsored us. The journey was not without its problems but we hope you agree that your kind donations have been well and truly earned the hard way!! 100% of these donations are going to the charity. James & Tom 7

The temperature is nice at this time of year, but water is already starting to be scarce.

In March of 2003, Scott Morrison and I went backpacking in the Grand Canyon. The temperature is nice at this time of year, but water is already starting to be scarce. Another issue with this time of year