Hi from John O'Groats

I cant begin to describe the pleasure I got from giving this blog a title
I reached JOG at 2pm, 6 Sept on a bright sunny afternoon, but with a gale force wind blowing, which made walking the last 30km more difficult than usual, although when I first saw JOG about 3km before I reached it, all the aches and pains vanished
I must admit to being a bit self satisfied and smug, so those of you living in Melbourne are lucky that I dont get home for abt 2 weeks, so should be back to my normal self by then

However, indulge me for a moment as I would like to take this opportunity to thank Roz, who is currently trekking in Ladahk for her support, Gus for the exercise programme he devised and importantly to all the great people I met while walking.
They came from all parts of the world, and from jobs as diverse as tomato growing, lawering?, ex submariner, tax expert, Land Rover designer, but all showed me friendship and helped when I was feeling flat.
2000 km/1200 miles, 90 days, 4 toe nails but it was worth it.
Not just for me, but much more importantly, for MS Australia, as donations have just reached $14,000 which is a massive effort from you.
I hope this goes in some way to help find a cure for this disease {It's still not too late to donate]

I'll leave the high and low lights of this walk to the slide evening, but a number of people have asked that after a 1000km walk across France in 2009 and a 2000km walk along England/Scotland in 2010, what in store for 2011
For those of you that saw the movie Forrest Gump where he runs and runs across the USA, then suddenly stops and says "I think I'll stop running now", well just insert the word walking for running for my future plans.
On the other hand..............
Thanks once more for all your support
Richard

I didn't get shot

Hi
Or at least, if I got shot at they missed.
I was walking across the moors from 12 August, which is known as "The glorious 12th" as it is the opening of the grouse shooting season, and their natural habitat is moorland heather, or exactly where I was walking

I assume the grouse describe the day a different way.
It is marginally better than fox hunting, as the end result can be eaten, but not my idea of fun

Since my last update, I have walked along the 2 major walking trails in Scotland, The west Highland Way, and the Great Glen Way, a total of approx 270 km
The last 4 days of the WH Way to Fort William via villages with great scottish names such as Inveranan, Kinlochleven and inversnaid and along the shores of loch Lomond was some of the best walking I have done.
The GG Way, was boring by comparison, but was along the shoreline of Loch Ness, and no, I saw nothing
I am now in Inverness, which means I have walked the last of the recognised paths on the trip, and unfortunately the way to JOG is along the roadways.
Still, only 205km left to go

I must admit to feeling a bit flat at the moment, and not looking forward to the next 8 days, as physically it will be a bit of a slog, not much to see, probably raining, but hey, nost of you reading this are working, so I shouldnt complain.

After all, this is meant to be enjoyable, and the great thing is we are nearly at $14,000 in donations

I hope to reach JOG on Monday 6 Sept, so will let you know soon after if I make it, or have been side swiped by a caravan as I walk up the highway

I wonder if I had been home when the election was on if my vote would have made the difference.
A good time to be away, as all those talking heads on the TV trying to justify their appearance fees, talking a lot but with nothing to say, would not make the most exciting TV
On the other hand, it may prepare you for my slide night
Richard

OUT WITH THE MUESLI, IN WITH THE PORRIDGE!

Well, I'm well and truly in Scotland now, just on the northen outskirts of Glasgow, and can really "sniff" the end.
After all, it's only 473km away
I can be so precise, as the last section is along 2 specific walking trails, then the road.
Tomorrow, I start the West Highland Way which goes from Milngavie along Loch Lomond to Fort William [152km] then the Great Glen Way along Loch Ness from FW to Inverness [117km] then road walking from Inverness to John O'Groats [204km]
I'm aiming to be at JOG on 6 Sept. Only 24 days away, with a rest day in Fort William to poss climb Ben Nevis, the UKs highest mountain

Anyway, that is all in the future
I was pleased to get to Scotland as with the beard, more people recognised my similarity to Sean Connery

I was close to Edinburgh, and as the Festival and the Tattoo were on, made a detour and stayed a few days.
There was a real contrast in audiences.
The 2 shows I went to at the Festival, I was the oldest member of the audience by 30 years.
At the tattoo, the audience was split roughly 50/50
The half that were international visitors were of all ages, but the half from the UK, I would have been the youngest by 30 years
The souvenir stands would have done a roaring trade if they had sold items such as tartan zimmer frames, whisky flavoured false teeth cement etc
Edinburgh is a city I would like to revisit

The walk between Edinburg and Glasgow was flat and uninteresting, with some very uninspiring towns, but this I am sure will be in complete contrast to what awaits me in the Highlands
The highlight of this part was coming across for the first time [and probably only] what I have dubbed Mesc cuisine
This is a fusion of Scottish and Mexican food.
I suppose it could be Scome instead of Mesc
How many of you have seen on a menu Enchilada with a choice of chicken, beef or haggis !!

As you will have seen from the pics, my boots died on me, which wa probably just as well, as they would never have been allowed back in Aus, or even on the plane due to the noxious odours rising from them.
I left them in my room in Edinburgh and hate to think what the next occupants would have thought of the lingering smell
I just hope the cleaner didnt touch them with ungloved hands

The Scottish weather has been kind so far with showers and max temps of around 20c, so heat stroke is not a possibility, but if this is the height of summer, I hate to think about the winters

As always, it is great to hear from anyone, although with the remoteness of the Higlands, my replies to received emails may take a while to happen

Richard

NEARLY IN SCOTLAND

Well 53 days down, only 37 to go if i stay on schedule to be in John O Grots Sept 6.
That doesnt sound too bad, but in kms, it's 1200 down and 800 to go.
It's only another 3 days and I leave England and enter Scotland, home of culinary delights such as haggis and the deep fried Mars Bar
I'm sure I'll be able to resist both
I should feel at home as I have been told I look like Sean Connery.
Do you think the walk is getting to me?

The Pennine Way is meant to be one of the UKs toughest walks, and it is/was.
It takes about 18 days to cover the 412 km and much of it is through desolate country.
In fact, the last 2 days I have walked without seeing a single person till I reached the village in the evening
Yesterday, I left the county of Cumbria, which would be an ideal place if Hollywood decides to do a remake of the movie "Deliverance"
It is the county that was in the news about a month ago when the police spent a week looking for a guy who killed 1 person and shot 2 others
The papers were critical of the police for taking a week.
I'm surprised they arent still looking

Tomorrow I reach Hadrians Wall, built by the Roman Emporer Hadrian in 122 AD to keep the Scots out of the more civilised parts of the UK
In my view, he blundered by building it to the North of Cumbria, rather than the south, and let the Scots have it

A number of you have asked me the route to the finish [well, 1 is a number]
From here I cut between Edinburg and Glasgow, reaching the start of an 8 day walk called The West Highland Way along Loch Lomond to Fort William, where I am having a day off
This is the base for people to climb Ben Nevis, highest mountain in the UK.
I'll decide when I get there whether to attempt it
Then its to Inverness on the east coast on The Great Glen Way which generally follows Loch Ness
From Inverness it's follow the coast ever north the last 200 km dash to John O Groats

One of the things currently on my mind was an article I recently read about profiling of terror suspects at Airports
I have a feeling that A bushy beard, tanned compexion, heavy boots, and a mad gleam in the eyes could tick most of the boxes
Perhaps I'll ditch the boots before Heathrow

Donations to MS are still gladly received, as after all this is the main reason for the walk, so any made at any time are gladly accepted

My next update will be written with a Scottish accent

WADDLING NORTH

Hi
Since my last post, I have finished walking The Cotswold Way, and with the pics I have taken, there is def a new career path for me, supplying pics of thatched cottages, contented cows, peacefull valleys, woodland paths dappled in sunlight etc.
However, a lot of it is the poscard view of rural England that is worth seeing, and I would def recomend it for a short walking holiday.

I am now heading from the end of The Cotswold Way at Chipping Campden to the start of The Pennine Way at Edaale
This is not the most attractive part of the UK as the route is very close to the cities of Birmingham and Coventry, neither high on the "Places to see before I die" lists Altough I did walk through Mereiden, apparently yhe geographical centre of England, and lichfield the home of Samuel Johnson of diary fame, not baby powder, Erasmus Dawrin, grandfather of Charles and David Garrick, the George Clooney of the 18th century

The weather has been great, except for today, July 15, which apparently is St Swithins day, and "they" say if it rains today, it will rain for the next 40 days. I'll let you know

The title of "waddling" refers to the fact that I must be the first person to gain weight will walking LELOG [that is Lands End John o Groats to those of us in to this sort of thing] No need to explain what JOGLE is.
I have cereal toast for breakfast, the usual roll for lunch, but being on a budget, the biggest evening meal for the smallest price is either fish and chips, baked potato with coleslaw or vegetarian bake, which is smothered in cheese sauce.
So together with the odd Snicker or 2, I reckin 2 kg has gone on in the first month

Had a haircut yesterday by a guy who had backpacked around Aus, and lived in Melbourne, and became a keen collingwood supporter.
I decided not to tell him what a loser he was, how his IQ was probably not in double figures etc, as at the time he had a razor in his hand which was dangerously close to my right ear

The Pennine Way which will take me to the Scottish Border [note to self:must see Braveheart
again]
This will prob be the most physically challenging part of the walk.
it is 412km or 260 miles [sounds less in miles]
According to the book, it requires fitness, good humour, determination and adaptability.
it also says" Completing the walk proves there is nothing you can't do if you set your mind to it"
Wish I'd read that before I started

On that note, some have asked about my physical/mental state, well Roz has

My feet currently have 10 toes, 8 toe nails and 6 blister plasters.
Other parts of the body are fine, but between the ears is def a problem [no need to make comments such as "what's new"]
I found last year, that the first third is easy mentally, as the excitement is there, and the last third is ok because the finish is in sight, but the middle third is a nothing time.
Tired, plodding along, just waiting to get half way+
I have currently walked about 750km with 1250 to go, or 35 days out of 90, so am in the middle of the doldrums, but I know that in another 15 days or 350km, if the weather gods are kind to me, I'll perk up again
That's it for now.
As always great to hear from anyone, and donations always gratefully received
Richard

Thanks for Supporting such a Great Cause!

I've now been walking for over 3 weeks, and have completed about 500km, or 25% of the walk.
I'm trying to have a mind set of thinking about what I have done, not what I have still to do.
Perhaps after half way it will be different
Thanks to those of you who have sent emails, it is appreciated, even the rude ones

Cornwall and Devon seemed to go on forever [abt 18 days] and because I was heading mainly eastwards, it seemed to be a lot of effort without achieving much, but since leaving Bath, where I had my first rest days, I'm now heading due north to Scotland
Unlike the first week, not much has happened.
The days are all pretty much the same.
out of bed at 6am, send some emails, read all about the mighty all conquering Richmond football club on the internet, have toast and cereal, leave at 8am, plod away for about 25km or 6/7 hours, check in to the pub, b&b, shower, find somewhere to eat, watch football, and go to bed at 9pm
Doesnt that sound riveting.
Am I enjoying it?
No
But I'm not "not enjoying it"
It has taken me completely out of my comfort zone, and the impetus to keep going is how much I can bore all of you when I finish
I have taken abt 500 slides so far, so the slide show promises to be a ripper

Most of you probably know the line from the TV programme Faulty Towers, "Dont mention the war"
I was sitting on a bench in the country town of Bridgwater, and a well dressed guy sat next to me.
He asked me where I was going etc, and after that finished I asked him about Bridgwater.
He said it had been going down hill since the war.
In my ignorance, I asked him if the town had been bombed, his reply was "Not that war, the civil war in 1645. Bridgwater was the last stronghold of the Royalists, and governments since then had not invested in the town"
The scary thing was, he was serious

Also in Bridgwater I had a haircut, and when asked where I was going said Bath rather than John O Groats.
Her reply was that she was born in Bridgwater, and she had heard Bath was nice but it was a long way from Bridgwater, and the road was bad.
It took me 3 days to walk, and wld be approx 1 hr in a car.
Enough of Bridgwater.

Unless you have been living undr a rock, you will know the World Cup and Wimbledon have been happening.
The expectation the poms put on their sportspeople I'm sure in some way contributes to their failure in major tournaments.
The great thing though is that Aus were here and lost the one day cricket tournament 3/2, and this was relegated to inconsequential news, so I havent had to duck for cover in pubs or hide my broad Aus accent

I'm now walking through the Cotswolds, which is real chocolate box scenery, with thatched cottages, rolling hills, and myriad shades of green.

As you all know, green means rain, but so far, in 24 days I havent seen a drop of rain which is probably like saying "I've never been booked for speeding", it's is bound to happen soon after, so I have moved my rain gear to the top of my pack.

So,in summary, not much has happened, but if you would like to send an email, even it is to tell me how boring my life is compared to yours, go for it
Richard

Thanks for Supporting such a Great Cause!

Well, 1 week and 150km done.
Explanations of the items mentioned in the email.
Firstly, the irate B&B owner swore, when I rang the bell, and there was no reply so I opened the front door, went into the hall, and before I could say anything, a female voice yelled from the kitchen "Where the f*** have you been all day" She then stormed out of the kitchen expecting her husband to be standing there. Apparently, I found out later he had gone shopping, called in to the pub, and watched a World Cup game. Needless to say she was extremely embarrassed.
The second incident was where I nearly stepped on what i think was a Viper, the only poisonous snake in the UK.
It was the end of the day, I was hot and sweaty, so think he decided he would suffer more from the bite than me, so left me alone.
I reunited a family when I came across a distraught mother and 2 kids who asked if I had seen their dog. I hadnt, but they asked if I did, could I phone them.
I saw the dog abt 30 min later, tied it to my pack with spare boot laces, and shared my morning tea of a Mars Bar with him. As I didnt know him, I had first bite.
The family came and all were happy.
You may have noticed a donation from a ""Madam Lash"
A lady of this name from Sydney has been in the papers here the last few days, having launched a biography.
I would like to stress, the person that donated, and the one in the news are not the same person
Apart from all the above, the first week, and 150km have gone well.
I think a toe nail is on its last leg, and will fall out soon, and a couple of blisters, but the sun is shining, the beer is cold, and I have hardly got lost
Look fwd to hearing from anyone

Day 1, 83 to go

Before starting the walk, I stayed in Penzance, and most disappointed, as not a pirate in sight

10am on June 10, I took my first of what I estimate to be a walk of 2,730,000 steps between Lands End and John O'Groats.
I'm not going to count them, but have worked it out at 70cm per step for 1950km.

Lunch on Day 1, was nettle soup, which tasted about as good as you would expect, and I didnt expect much.
Today the weather was cold and windy, needless to say, the wind was straight into me, so it was like walking through treacle, and the one piece of equipment I needed, but didnt pack was gloves.
Summer in England!!
The World Cup is massive in the UK, and at least the Aus v Germany game is on at 7.30 pm and not 3.30am. This would be one of the few times, poms would support Aus in a sporting event.
Thats it for now, and will update this in a few weeks

100 DAYS TO GO

This seemed a good time to let everyone know, that my starting date for the walk, June 10 is 100 days from today.
Preparations are going well, and I am walking between 15 and 20km per day with my backpack, and completed 1 walk of 30km which was seemingly all uphill from Wodonga to Yackandandah in NE Victoria.
I have decided to break myself in gently for the first 4 days of walking, and have booked a room in pubs and b & bs for the first 4 nights. Camping doesnt start till day 5, which guarantees it will be raining in Cornwall on June 15.
Fund raising is going well, and a big thank you to those who have contributed. My local Cafe in Hampton, Brown Cow has really come to the party, and in April will be donating 10 cents from each coffee sold, and suggesting clients add a $1 donation to their bill.
To those of you who havent made a donation, if you feel inclined, this can be done any time via the web site.
I will send a further update closer to departure.

INFO RE THE WALK

The walk is approx 2000km [depending how often I get lost] and is between Lands End, the most south westerly point on the British mainland, and John O Groats, the most northerly point on the mainland of Scotland.
I expect to take approx 90 days, and will be walking with a backpack weighing approx 20kg. A map of my proposed route is the next picture after the glam shot of me in the Pyrenees
Below are the stats of someone who walked in 2009

Total Distance Travelled: 1974 kms - Equivalent to walking from Brisbane to Cooktown, Qld
Total Hours Walked: 550 hours
Overall Average Speed: 3.66 km/h
Overall Average Daily Distance: 20.2 km/day
Overall Average Daily Walking Time: 5 hours 40 mins
Fastest Daily Speed - 5.45 km/h
Slowest Daily Speed - 2.5 km/h
Longest Daily Distance - 33.2 kms
Shortest Daily Distance - 9.93 kms
Longest Walking Time - 8 hrs 57 mins

CLIMBING STATISTICS
Overall Total Ascents for Walk - 44,114 m - Equivalent to climbing Mt Everest 5 times