Crask Inn to John O' Groats

 June 23rd

The Crask Inn

The day began auspiciously. It was a beautiful morning. The sun was shining and the birds were singing and I was having a last breakfast on the road, looking out on the most magnificent Sutherland vista. Douglas, the host with the most, wished me good luck and told me that after the "little hill outside his door," it was all downhill to Altnahara ( a distance of 8 miles) I took it with the pinch of salt from my porridge BUT IT WAS TRUE. A glorious ride downhill through wonderful scenery. Whilst having breakfast Douglas had pointed at a cyclist going past on a strange looking recumbent contraption and we laughed at how difficult it must be to get any leverage going uphill. 

Peter and his amazing machine

Peter, an Englishman from just outside Oxford,  was the owner and constructor of the recumbent bicycle, which turned out to be a rather swish machine, despite its Heath Robinson origins. As I swept through Altnahara I saw the recumbent bicycle, its owner and a non cyclist chatting by the side of the road. It transpired that Mick, a school friend,  was acting as baggage carrier, water and food provisioner and back up to Peter who was riding the end to end on his strange contraption, for Shelter, a worthy cause. After a lengthy chat about our respective routes to here,  Peter suggested that we ride on together for a bit and he agreed to meet Mick at Bettyhill some 25 miles distant.

It was glorious countryside and as we chatted and rode the miles went past quickly. We found that his recumbent was in fact quite efficient and whilst I could climb more easily, whenever we went downhill his lesser air resistance meant that he sped ahead of me, which could only be counteracted by me dropping onto the droops and breaking my back to be more aerodynamic, a position I could hold for about 10 seconds! 

My guidebook eulogised about the morning's ride. "The first miles of the final leg between Crask Inn and Bettyhill provide some of Northern Europe's most sensational cycling, on a remarkable stretch of road that could have been designed to the exact specifications of the long distance cycle tourist" For once I found myself in complete agreement with Mr Masochist the hill lover.  It certainly wasn't designed for the construction traffic that was plying back and forth in the construction of a controversial new onshore wind farm. Until Bettyhill the route was brilliant, the company marvelous and the scenery breathtaking and the weather gorgeous.

Bettyhill arrived and all changed. Bettyhill was where in 2020 when we visited in September we encountered signs asking us to go home and take our covid with us. Not welcome was the message of severals signs outside Bettyhill houses. On Thursday morning in 2022 the terrain between Bettyhill and Reay (just before Dounereay nuclear facility) was definitely unwelcome. It consisted of a series of really steep climbs followed by serious descents only to climb again...... following the rugged cliffs of the northern coastline. On one of the climbs Peter and I were joined by Hans Peter, who it transpired in conversation had been Mayor of Davos in Switzerland ( home to the annual economic summits of the G7) He had cycled up the East coast and was planning to carry on beyond John o'Groats and descend via the West coast. His previous exploits ( after I stop the politic) included Sicily to the Arctic Circle in Norway and Switzerland to Tsiblisi in Georgia. 

We rode as a three for most of the rest of the day until we reached Thurso after an exhilirating descent during which I broke my record by reaching in excess of 60 kph. Peter was meeting Mick for something to eat and Hans Peter wanted to buy provisions in Lidl, so I telephoned Pauline and gave her an ETA of 5.30, two hours hence. I thought it was 18 miles to go at that point, but after I had ridden about a mile and a half through Thurso, I passed a sign - John O'Groats 20miles. Oops! I had better get a move on. 

The terrain consisted of long drags followed by shallow descents and I made good time until after the Castle of Mey ( which was the Queen Mother's estate) when the land turned a little South and the South West wind kicked up in my face for the last seven miles. Who said a challenge should be easy? I knew that Pauline would be waiting and that she would expect me to be early, but that was rapidly becoming impossible. In the end I arrived in John O'Groats at 17.30 exactly and Pauline was by the roadside to greet me with a huge hug and a heartfelt WELL DONE.

We made our way to THE sign where the obligatory pictures were taken. Just as we arrived at the sign Hanni, the German cyclist I had met at the start of day 2 at the Fowey ferry, arrived, and we shook hands and hugged like lifelong friends. He had followed the self same guide, in the same number of days, as myself  except that he was camping as as opposed to my luxury of a soft bed each night. It was really good to see him again. He was planning to cycle as far down the east before the start of the ladies' football European competition in Brentford on July 7th as he could, taking to the train as necessary (assuming no strikes)

Hanni had just departed when in rolled Peter on his amazing home made machine and we began another round of congratulations and photo shoots. Pauline was in her element shooting everyone from every angle. But there are only so many photos can be taken and I was beginning to get cold and feel a little deflated so we left and let someone else occupy the stage.

Did I enjoy it?    

It was certainly satisfying to tackle such a challenge and succeed. Enjoy? I certainly enjoyed some days but it was probably the hardest thing I have ever done so enjoy is hard to equate with a lot of the pain.

How did I feel at the end?   

I expected to feel a great sense of elation, of satisfaction of a challenge tackled head on and overcome but I can't honestly say that that was the case. I was glad I was finished. It was great to see Pauline who had supported me unstintingly throughout despite her misgivings about the whole project. It was great to share the finish with Pauline and my friends of the road but there was a certain feeling of "is that it?" at the end.

We went off to Thurso to spend the night and celebrate quietly our two selves. There were messages of congratulation galore and phone calls to field and the flatness morphed into a quiet glow of satisfaction at a job tackled and completed.

This morning as we drove from John O'Groats home, the messages of congratulation kept on coming as did the donations and then a golfing friend who wishes to remain anonymous weighed in with a whopping donation to take the total to over £5000 pounds ( + gift Aid) We were both blown away and the mood lifted and I gradually came to the realisation that I was immensely proud of having facilitated the raising of such a sum for Samaritans. As I was threatening to rush off to personally thank some of my principal benefactors and supporters as soon as we got home, Pauline was trying to dampen my enthusiasm for doing it tonight.

As we entered Dykeside it immediately became apparent why. There was bunting aplenty and a reception committee of more than a dozen of the denizens of the street. I was like a rabbit in the headlights. I was completely stunned and overwhelmed at the welcome home. After photos and hugs we repaired to our garden where Pauline had organised some celebratory fizz. The weather was in complete cooperation. The sun was out and the garden was looking at its best and all was well in my small corner of the world.

This is perhaps an appropriate time to review the trip of a lifetime. (be assured it won't be repeated)

I have been incredibly lucky on virtually every possible front.

1    The weather has been incredibly on my side. It has rained for a total of an hour and a half on the way from Windermere to Keswick.

2    My injured hamstring has given me not a single twinge in 14 days of cycling and my other muscles whilst stiff and sore have continued to do their jobs without too much compaint.

3    The other critical parts of the cycling anatomy- backside, neck and shoulders and hands have all been without much difficulty and I can honestly say that my bum has never been sore in 1000 miles. In fact the first time it was sore was in the car on the way home by about Carrbridge where we had to stop.

4    I encountered a swarm of midges in Ballachulish after a night of rain for five minutes as I set off for Inverness and that was my only encounter with the pesky insects in six days in Scotland (mostly on the West)

5   Despite an early visit from the puncture fairy in the shape of a "pinch puncture" caused by speeding over a cattle grid in Dartmoor (a mistake which I was careful never to repeat) my bike stood up to the often boneshaking surfaces incredibly well, and at the end was riding as well as it was at the beginning. I am sure that in Devon and Cornwall I must have worn my brakes and rims many mm thinner but they were still stopping efficiently in Caithness at the end.

The most important factor in my succesful completion of my challenge has been the incredible support I have enjoyed from a vast array of friends and family but particularly from Pauline who has steadfastly remained positive and supportive and has taken away any need for me to worry about ANYTHING. She has fielded phone calls and texts and WhatsApps and passed on all of the good wishes whilst satisfying the seemingly endless appetite for news of my progress. She has been nothing short of brilliant. Thank you Pauline. The icing on the otherwise tasty cake was secretly coordinating the welcome home party which had been organised by Mo - thank you Mo - hugs to follow.

Finally,  to everyone who has donated to Samaritans and supported Pauline and me during this life affirming challenge THANK YOU  THANK YOU THANK YOU