So – why exactly did I do this walk?

The reasons why..

For me, there wasn’t any single reason why I decided to do this walk.   It was a combination of factors.   The first reason was, simply, that I like walking.   I’ve been doing long distance walks since I was a teenager, and Land’s End to John O’Groats (or “LEJOG” as it is sometimes called) is the ultimate goal for many UK hikers.

The second reason was that I actually like this country and wanted to explore it first hand, at “ground level”.   I was also aware that in September 2014, there was going to be a referendum on Scottish independence and I quite wanted to do it while the country was still intact.

Thirdly, I cycled the LEJOG route for charity in 2005, and had really enjoyed the challenge.  When I finished that journey, I realised that one day I would have to come back and do it “properly” – in other words, on foot.

Click this button to download a report of my 2005 bike ride (4 MB):

LEJOG bike ride 2005 - 4 MB PDF download

And an important fourth reason was that our two sons had both just left home and gone off either to University or the world of work.   Both of them had been active Scouts, and I often think their  choices in life were shaped at least as much by what they learned through Scouting, as by what they learned at school.   So I felt I wanted to give something back, and with the 2015 Jamboree coming up, fundraising for this worthwhile cause seemed like the obvious right thing to do.   There are more details at the “Scouts” page.

Perhaps the fifth, and last, reason, was the most surprising.   The advent of electronic mapping tools, like “ViewRanger” appealed to two of my main interests – mapping and technology.   So the opportunity to use electronic mapping, and to be able to share my experiences as I walked through new media like Facebook, Twitter and WordPress blogs, really appealed to me.

So with these drivers, and with all the necessary permissions in place (see “prep” page), there was really was no excuse for not setting off.   I duly packed my bags, said my goodbyes, and headed off into the unknown (well Cornwall) on Monday 24 March 2014.

Read other notes by clicking the link below the line

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