BIG OLD CYCLE TRIP - LEJOG 2021

MR. GREEN

By Sam Townson

This summer I hit the road with a group of what were strangers and are now friends to cycle the length of the UK from Land’s End to John O’Groats – which is often known as the LEJOG Challenge – and camp along the route. We cycled together for 15 days, over 1,000 miles and climbed 14,000 meters - nearly 46,000 feet, if you’re that way inclined – which is higher than Mount Everest! It was a trip of a lifetime, one of my greatest achievements, and I met some amazing people doing it.

We decided to undertake this monumental challenge in aid of an amazing UK based charity called Centrepoint. They are a youth homeless charity working with young people across the country to help lift them up and get back on their feet. If you’d like to support them or find out more about their work, then visit their website. It was a charity we chose because of the dreadful impact Covid-19 had on those who were living without a home.

Together we managed to raise just under £8,000 thanks to the generosity of friends, family, and people we met during our epic journey. That is enough money to cover the cost of three young people’s journey through Centrepoint from homelessness to independence.  

Our journey had everything from the challenges of the British summer to broken bikes to sore bottoms. It all began on July 5th as we came together with our bikes at Land’s End - the most westerly point of mainland Britain. As we stood ready to leave, I was filled with nerves and excitement.

The LEJOG challenge has been on my bucket list as a cycling enthusiast, and it was finally becoming a reality! This adventure of cycling and camping (with one-night wild camping) was also going to give me the perfect opportunity to truly connect with nature, something I’d been longing for after a long few months of Covid-19 lockdowns and isolations. Not only this, but it also gave me the chance to ‘practice what I preach’ as someone always promoting active travel as the perfect alternative to our car centric, polluting, earth damaging transport systems. Cycling is an amazing, sustainable way to travel, emitting no emissions and giving you an immense sense of achievement when you know your own body has got you to your final destination.

To really find that connection to nature we unanimously decided that the scenic route was for us, even if it was hillier. It was a choice I did not regret as we encountered beautiful landscapes, jaw dropping views and epic climbs. In the interest of time, preserving our bikes which were predominantly road bikes without suspension, and our bottoms we stuck to the open road for the majority of the trip avoiding main roads where possible. However, this wasn’t always perfect as we sometimes found ourselves bouncing along unpathed canal paths or having to rush along busy roads. 

This trip gave me the opportunity to see what my body was capable of and allowed me to cycle the furthest I’ve ever done. The second day was the longest I’d ever ridden in one day, but didn’t hold that title for long as the very next day we went on to cycle 150km. I also had the BEST day of cycling I’ve ever had. On day 11 we ventured from the urban sprawl of Glasgow to the wilderness of Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park. We had glorious weather as we travelled alongside the River Clyde and River Leven before being greeted by the amazing Loch Lomond, a wild swim at lunch, a waterfall visit, and then finishing an epic day with wild camping. 

Despite day eleven being the best day of cycling ever for me, day 15 (the final day) came in a very close second. This was not because I wanted the trip to be over or to get off my bike, but because of the achievement it represented and that feeling as we rolled as a team into John O’Groats – the very north-eastern point of the UK mainland. We’d come over 1,000 miles all from the power of our own legs. A feeling that has become addictive; as I sit here writing all I want to do is head out on another adventure.

However, the trip was not all sunshine and rainbows – after all I do live in the UK! The first day was a real grounder as we were pounded with rain and wind for the entirety of the day and none of us officially made it to that day’s destination. We had two bikes break: one chain snapped and one wheel broke, as we bubbled along a dual carriageway with cars zooming past at 70mph.

My legs were in agony on some days, and I cannot deny that it took me a few weeks to get back on the bike as my sore bottom recovered. Our bikes were not fully prepared or equipped for riding such an epic distance as they often required repairs and some TLC – no surprise considering some were over 30 years old!

Moreover, cycling might be an incredibly sustainable way to travel but this style of travelling as we moved on every day and were burning through so many calories is not conducive to a sustainable lifestyle. Initially it was difficult to make sustainable choices in terms of food and packing. I found myself reaching for pre-packaged lunches and other convenience foods wrapped in plastic, which instilled feelings of guilt (and damaged my bank balance). Yet, this consciousness and guilt was beneficial. It empowered me to make more intentional and environmentally friendly choices and to have discussions with the rest of the group about sustainability and our individual impacts.

Choosing to cycle and camp also brought with it another set of challenges; where were we going to put our tents, sleeping bags, food, clothes, and everything else you need to keep you going? Well, this was a difficult decision. We initially planned to all carry our own things, packing as little as possible and stuffing our panniers with as much as we could, but the plan changed. Sadly one of the group developed an injury just before our departure date which opened up the possibility of a support car. He already had the time off work and was keen to embark on the adventure in any way possible, so he volunteered to drive alongside us carrying all of our stuff. A byproduct of the driver spending so much time with his car (even deciding to sleep in it) and us being so reliant on it for carrying our things it became part of the team. Now, this does mean that our zero carbon road trip took on a different motif but without this help I don’t think we would have made it and to have all travelled by car would have required at least four cars not just one. 

Our trip may have been filled with challenges, problems, and feelings of ecstasy, but what shines through for me is the kindness and togetherness we experienced. In times of despair and desperation we came together as a team but were also supported by those around us; family, friends and strangers. On the first day people provided us a space to shelter from the wind and rain as our support car came to rescue those with damaged bikes, give us tea, biscuits, and offer lifts to those unable to carry on by a local farmer. Under the moniker of ‘The LEJOG Charity Cycle’ we were frequently offered discounts, free bike maintenance and generosity by many we encountered on our route. People we met along the way often told us what an amazing thing we were doing. Our families and friends sent us messages of encouragement. But most importantly people supported not just us but the thousands of young people across the UK living in or at risk of homelessness by donating to Centrepoint. Seeing our fundraising total climbing day after day pushed us all on and filled us with an incredible sense of gratitude.

The Earthians Care newsletter might be all about our planet and sometimes I feel a sense of despair as it seems the future of our planet is in jeopardy. However, we cannot forget that this is OUR planet, and we are part of it too. Humans might be the threat, but we can also come together to find a solution. This journey, challenge, adventure has shown me that people are capable of unity and generosity, and this gives me hope that we can create positive change for our planet and its people.

The final thing I will leave you with is this…If you’re ever presented with the opportunity to do something on your bucket list or that you’ve always wanted to do, however big or small, don’t let it slide. Say YES - I promise you won’t regret it.