A Cycle from Land’s End to John O’ Groats- With a Twist!

I’ve had this trip in the back of my mind for a few years but it got pushed to the ‘top of the list’ this year. It all got off to a bit of a false start- within 10 minutes of boarding the train at New Street work called and presented me with the option ‘want to go to Russia tomorrow?’

A month later on the 24th August I started again. Seeing as I was changing trains at Plymouth anyway I decided to take an extra hour to call in to the Freestyle Sports factory shop ( www.freestyle-sports.co.uk ) and buy a new lightweight XCR Gore-Tex cycling jacket in their sale. That evening as I lay in my tent 5 miles from Land’s End I began to wonder whether the 100 miles of cycling in the previous 16 months was enough ‘training’ for what I had in mind. I’m sure my legs ached after the 15 miles I’d completed so far!

As I stood getting my picture taken at the signpost at Land’s End the following morning the weather looked ominous. The route I intended to use was that of ‘Land's End To John O'Groats By Bike’ by Phil Horsley. This route tends to keep off the main roads and use lanes and even some unsurfaced National Cycle Network (NCN) routes. I set off following the North coast towards Newquay. Although the hills in Devon and Cornwall aren’t long they certainly are steep. The first few days mainly followed the ‘book route’. The third day dawned with heavy rain. At midday reluctantly I pulled the tent down, stuffed it in the panniers and set off, testing my newly purchased jacket in the rain. The rain subsided after a couple of hours.

After Cheddar Gorge I headed over the Severn Bridge and on into Wales. Taking a more direct approach using main roads to the hut I overnighted at Crickhowell and Corris. Arriving at the Club Hut the weather was fabulous. I took off up Snowdon on the first of my Three Peaks. I’d already set myself a bit of personal goal by aiming to do the ascents in a total time of 5 hours. Carrying only a photocopied map, compass, camera and jacket made the going easy and I reached the clear summit in 1hr 35min from the hut. The week had been a hard one and with the weather so good it seemed a sensible choice to take a rest day.

I arrived at Chester by mistake! The YHA at Maeshafn had closed (permanently) when I arrived there late afternoon and with no obvious campsites I headed on to Chester- to the YHA. The following day I was back on the ‘book route’ and followed the ‘alternative’ which follows NCN 56 up the Wirral and then crosses the Mersey Ferry to Liverpool. Getting into the Lakes to ‘bag’ Scafell Pike is tricky. Should I take the shorter ride but long walk from the Langdales or the long ride into Wasdale with it’s short walk. I decided on the latter and the long day wasn’t helped by starting late, with a hangover, at 11.20am! The 90 miles via Ulpha (and it’s 1 in 4 uphill!) and Eskdale saw my arrival at Wasdale by headtorch.

I was concerned about getting wet feet on Scafell Pike as it had been years since I was last there and my memory of it was a little hazy. I carried trainers for walking in (for weight reasons) but the path was dry and I stood on the top 1hr 30mins later gazing at the tremendous view. I set off early afternoon for Cockermouth, feeling the exertion from the previous day. Despite petrol being ‘easily available’ I struggled buying 0.3L of it for my stove. No amount of ‘I hope you enjoy a hot dinner this evening’ seemed to sway the station’s attendants to my favour, however on the fifth occasion I was lucky. The following morning the favourable wind had changed to a north easterly and riding into its teeth, towards Carlisle, I managed only 25 miles in the first 3hrs. Heading north now (and back on the ‘book route’) to Longtown my speed improved, then the 28 miles west into Dumfries was covered in a very comfortable 90mins.

The next few days were hot and clear and saw me down into Ardrossan, over the ferry to Brodick on the Isle of Arran with an overnight at the SYHA Lochranza The ferry to Claonaig completed the hop, skip and a jump to the West Coast. I needed an early start the following morning with the ‘Ben’ planned for the afternoon so I stayed at SYHA Oban. Early starts and camping don’t go hand in hand for me!

I pushed on for the 50 miles the following morning to Glen Nevis campsite only stopping briefly. It was a hot day considering it to be early September and I was mindful of the stream around halfway up the Tourist Path which I hoped would provide for my water stop. I headed off with only my limited load as before determined to make the summit in the remainder of my self imposed 5hrs. I can’t remember walking up the Ben on such a hot day, indeed even in the sun! On the South facing slopes I was sweltering and had to curtail my pace a little as I considered the possibility of heat exhaustion. I reached the top in 1hr 50min, 5min inside my goal. I sat for an hour in my t-shirt and shorts marvelling at the view. Tremendous- three peaks, all in warm weather with a great view from all three.

The route alongside Loch Lochy follows a forestry road which is smooth and quiet, a far cry from the main road which was still bustling with tourist coaches. Further on beside Loch Ness I met my first (and only) other ‘end to ender’ approaching Drumnadrochit. I found myself a wee bar for the night and have little recollection of getting ‘home’! There was an incentive for the run into Inverness next morning- the rain cloud that was chasing me up the Great Glen. Briefly stopping for provisions at Safeway I continued on the ‘book route’ over The Black Isle trying to make the last ferry. The strong tailwind helped no end and pushed me along to Dornoch where I pitched the tent. Later I watched the local Pipe Band perform in the town square for the last night of the season. Chatting to a couple of ‘old boys’- obviously outsiders- they explained how Dornoch is considered the ‘capital’ of Caithness and how the people that lived there ‘consider themselves the next thing to royalty’.

The strong wind had kept up over night and despite almost flattening the tent on occasion I’d slept soundly. The last day and the first that I felt it necessary to don more than my usual attire of t-shirt and shorts. The XCR jacket proved just the thing for keeping the wind out and it surprised me just how breathable this new generation Gore-Tex is. The 81 miles up the A9 to my destination at John O’ Groats was completed in a most respectable 5hr 50min due to the strong wind, also achieving my highest maximum speed of the trip at 48mph! I nipped into the bar for a celebratory pint and upon returning to my bike the cycle computer had crashed; was it trying to tell me something! Riding the few miles to SYHA John O’ Groats I was chilled to the bone, the weather was changing.

It had just begun to rain as I arrived in Thurso the following morning where I spent the night in a first class ‘Backpackers’. I caught up with an old friend for a few beers. The weather had been so good to me considering what it had been like at the time I had originally intended the trip. With exception to the two hours of riding in the rain on my third day there had only been two other instances of rain- and they were 5 mins each! I’d covered 1180 miles in effectively 18 days riding with the 3 peaks aswell. I suffered only one puncture at 997 miles as I rode into Glen Nevis.

Bikes on trains are a bone of contention. They have to be booked on a particular service to guarantee passage. I had to wait a day to be booked on the ‘two bike’ train back to Aberdeen, which was carrying five bikes!

Carrying on from John Edwards’s ‘Lightweight’ articles earlier in the year I weighed my bike and gear on return. The whole lot weighed 30kgs. I used a lightweight aluminium mountain bike with 1.3” slick tyres so it rolls well. The advantage of a mountain bike is the gear ratios, I needed that low 1st! Two rear panniers of 23 litres each and a quickly detachable bar bag of around 8 litres were used for holding my gear, with the Karrimat on top of the panniers. Two bottle holders are useful, one for water and the other for a bottle of milk. Travelling alone I carried a small tent, petrol stove, sleeping bag, minimum clothes (washing shorts and t-shirts every day) and some lightweight trainers for the mountains.

Pause a thought Goran Kropp who cycled from his home in Sweden to Everest (carrying all his gear), climbed Everest without oxygen and cycled home again. His book is called Ultimate High

Phil Matthews
11 October 2004



Brief Summary of Intenary For Reference Only (spelling may not be correct):-


1 Home to Plymouth (to visit Freestyle clothing to buy an XCR cycling jacket for 90 quid instead of 150), Plymouth to Penzance. 7 miles to camp
2 Campsite to Lands End and on up the coast to just S’ of Perranporth where I camped. Around 50 miles with some steep little hills too!
3 Continued following the coast following the book as far as the cycling museum (N’ of Padstow) and then cut and run (off the book route) along the main road to Launceston expecting to use the campsite there only to find it was residential only, then rode along the A30 to Okehampton. Started to rain as I got there. 80 miles
4 Waited till midday before taking the tent down as it was lashing down with rain. Rode 2 hrs in the rain following the book until it stopped raining nr Crediton. Probably the day with steepest hills. Followed the route to stay with friends just off the A38 (and just off book route) S’ of Taunton. About 50 miles I think
5 Friends place following book route to Cheddar Gorge, some steep roads too. Camped in Cheddar. Around 59 miles although from friends house to Cheddar should only be around 40!
6 Cheddar following route but not all the way as it wanders a bit too much so followed it from motorway bridge over the Avon and over the Severn bridge (where it rained going over the bridge only) where I just cut off and headed in to Wales. Camped at Crickhowell nr Abergavenny. Around 70 miles
7 Crickhowell through Builth Wells, Rhyaeder, Llaniloes and over the mountain road to Machynthleth and up to the YHA at Corris. Big day and the mountain road is steep! Around 80 miles
8 Corris to the West Bromich Mountaineering Club hut in the morning, straight up the A470. Walked up Snowdon in 1hr 35mins from the hut in the afternoon. Cycled around 55 miles I think. View from Snowdon was perfect, day sunny!
9 Rest day at the hut, 7 miles to the pub and back!
10 Hut through Betws Y Coed to Ruthin and onto a YHA called Maeshaffin which turned out to have closed when I got there so headed to Chester YHA as no campsites around. ~76miles from memory
11 Followed NCN 56 – National Cycle Network route (back on book route) up the Wirral (follows a bridleway and is rough in places with broken glass in places too), crossed the ferry to Liverpool and got a good tail wind to Leyland to stay with a mate.
12 With a hangover left Leyland late (1120hrs) and headed straight through Preston and up the A6 to Milnthorpe with a good tailwind. It started to rain again but by the time I had got my jacket on it had stopped. Didn’t rain again for the rest of the trip! Headed around the main rd S’ of the Lakes almost to Ulverston before heading off over to Ulpha (1 in 4 hill up!) and into Eskdale and onto Wasdale Head campsite. Biggest day 90 miles with last 20 hard too. Cattle grids at 40 mph!
13 Did Scafell Pike in 1hr 30mins to the top, then rode out to the coast and on up to Cockermouth where I camped. 35 miles I think. Struggled to find a petrol station which would sell me 0.3L of fuel!
14 Hellish headwind (from NE’) into Carlisle took 3hrs for 25miles. Then back on book route from here on really headed N’ to Longtown on the A7 where the wind and taken to the E’. Then headed W’ to Dumfries and did 28 miles in 1.5 hrs! Up to Thornhill and camped there, biggish day ~76miles I think.
15 Book route to Ardrossan and the ferry to Arran and onto the SYHA at Lochranzer.
16 Ferry to Clonoig then straight on up to Oban where I stayed in the SYHA again. Can’t remember the distance (all figs in the office).
17 Oban up to Glen Nevis and up The Ben in the afternoon. Very warm day and was pushing the pace to achieve 1hr50mins to the top but was suffering with the heat on the way up! Best view ever from the top. 50 miles ish. First and only puncture at 997miles
18 Followed the book route along the forest track along Loch Lochy to Drumnadrochit where I camped. Met first (& only) person also riding LE JOG. Spent the evening in the pub! Stuggled this day due to the previous big days and pushing myself too much on the Ben.
19 Drumnadrochit to Inverness was spent sprinting away from the rain cloud I could see chasing me up the Glen Ness! V strong tailwind up to Dornoch which was good. Camped in Dornoch and watched the Pipe Band in the town Sq that evening.
20 First day I had to cycle in jacket (other than when it rained) as it was a bit chilly to start with. Previously just rode in shorts and T shirt. Dornoch straight up the A9 to Wick and onto John O Groats (81miles) was done in 5hr 50mins riding time. Funny thing was after I had celebrated with a pint in the pub and re-fitted the computer it crashed and lost all the data (lucky I wrote it down as I arrived). Headed off to stay in the SYHA at John O Groats, it was freezing cold on the way too.
21 Followed the book route to Thurso, water fell out of the sky and it reminded me that it does rain in this country doesn’t it!