The BIG bike ride - Land's End to John O'Groats

Some of you may already know that I'm cycling from Lands End to John O'Groats from 5th to 20th of May.
  I'm cycling with a friend of mine Rob Dentry who is 14 yrs my junior and a whole heap fitter, however he currently has the scars of a paintball pellet to the bum which makes sitting on a saddle extremely painful :o)
  1000 miles of pure hell I'm sure, but it will be for charity. Before you all reach for your wallets I won't be asking for your money. What I would like you to do is to donate a bit of your time to a charity or worthwhile cause.
  You'll be able to track our progress via this blog. Please feel free to leave some words of encouragement :o)

I'm not asking for your money!!(but...Rob is!!)

Fed up with the usual "give me your money" approach to charity. An idea came to me one day of asking people to donate their time instead. I thought my idea was unique until I found a whole host of sites and organisations who do such a thing. One such organisation can be found at
  http://www.volunteering.org.uk
  You will be able to find your nearest centre. There are a large number of different ways of donating your time. So don't feel that you will be pushed into something you're not comfortable with. Alternatively you can give blood for the first time or help out at a local youth group. The options are endless. There is no time limit on when to do this. Anytime from now until whenever. Your help will always be invaluable.
  It would be fantastic if you could post a comment on the site to say what work you would like to do and how many hours you have donated so that we can keep a running total. If you prefer send an email info@donatemytime.org.uk . If everyone I know can donate even just 1hr of their time to a worthwhile cause or charity then we would have achieved a great deal.
  If you'd prefer the easy option of giving money, Rob is cycling to raise money for the Wiltshire Air Ambulance and you can visit his fundraising page here.
  Thanks
  Peter & Rob :o)

Day Twelve - Glencoe to Loch Ness

May 17, 2009

Day 12

Glencoe to Loch Ness

Distance 60.1 miles

Average 12.4 mph

Time 4 hours 41 minutes and 45 seconds

We set off today at 09.15 and headed straight along the A82 literally all the way. It was overcast and a little bit drizzly but not too bad. The wind was mostly in our favour which really helped after yesterday’s tough day.

We went along to Fort William where we stopped to have a coffee in a little cafe. Just after that we passed Ben Nevis but unfortunately it was covered by clouds so we couldn’t really see the top of it but it was spectacular nonetheless. In fact all the scenery was quite spectacular and the weather and conditions were certainly warmer than yesterday allowing us the chance to admire the views.

We carried on through Spean Bridge and went through Invergarry, following that we went through Fort Augustus, and then onto Loch Ness and arrived at the Youth Hostel at 16.05. A very easy day compared to what we have been doing so it was a great relief. The hostel is right beside Loch Ness, only 10 metres away so we have a fantastic view of it but haven’t as yet seen Nessie although we are optimistic and have our binoculars at the ready!!!

Rob’s leg is still giving him a few problems. It was quite an uneventful day, and it was amazing to be able to do 60 miles and feel like it was a piece of cake. We managed to get our washing done when we arrived at the hostel which we needed to do because our clothes were really smelly especially Rob’s!! Today we went past the 900 mile marker and we should easily break the 1,000 mile total by the time we get to John O’Groats!

Rob decided to entertain all the guests with his repertoire of piano playing at the youth hostel and although he claimed the piano was out of tune, I am convinced it was Rob’s piano playing.

We picked up some ready meals and fruit for our evening meal and need I say……….. Oh ok then, I can’t wait to get home for one of Anne’s wonderful dinners! We are also keeping our fingers crossed for England tonight in the Eurovision Song Contest!!!!

We are looking forward to an early night tonight which we should manage very easily because at the time of writing, we are the only ones in our room.

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Comments

4 Responses to “Day Twelve - Glencoe to Loch Ness”

  1. Anne on May 17th, 2009 12:51 pm

    Only three days to go now babe….. You are so close!!!

    The photos are amazing and I so can’t wait to see some of these places for myself!

    So, a BIG question for you? What dinner would you like on Wednesday when you get back???? I’ll cook whatever you say (I can hear you now saying ‘You know me babe, I’ll eat anything’) but seriously if you do have something you want me to make, let me know!

    I am still so proud of you especially as you’ve kept going even when you’ve been totally knackered…….

    Can’t wait to see you on Wednesday xx

  2. Anne on May 17th, 2009 12:53 pm

    Oh yeah, I forgot to say that England came fifth in the Eurovision Song Contest. I know you were keen to know that!!! xx

  3. Pete & rob on May 17th, 2009 7:02 pm

    Anything but pasta:o)

  4. sue jones on May 18th, 2009 8:47 am

    Reading the daily blog with interest and amazed at your progress- far better than my driving!! Wishing you both all the best for the last few days. Very inspiring and a novel twist asking for donations of time. I average 2 hours voluntary work a week so now looking into ways of how to increase this. All the best Sue Jones

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