Arriving at John O'Groats

Fresh as a daisy...1200 miles by long distance paths from Land's End



Me and the rescue team (Jo and Stu's taxi - massive thanks guys!)



Next challenge - poledancing!

On tour with Winterton Iron

LEJOG for James

We did it!  1200 miles in wind, rain and sun; so in the words of the song:

When you walk through a storm
Hold your head up high
And don't be afraid of the dark

At the end of the storm
Is a golden sky
And the sweet silver song of the lark

Walk on through the wind
Walk on through the rain
Though your dreams be tossed and blown

Walk on walk on with hope in your heart
And you'll never walk alone
You'll never walk alone

And I never walked alone

In memory of James Neal

5 May 1996 to 9 May 2010

I walked 1200 miles

17 April 2011 to 18 June 2011

Please continue to give generously to Leukaemia and Lymphoma Research
www.justgiving.com/andyroberts3
Or make a donation in cash or cheque to Leukaemia and Lymphoma Research on one of my sponsor forms
or direct to www. beatbloodcancers.org (please ask for it be credited to the James Neal Forget Me Not fund)
Or just grab money off people and add it to the donations!
And thank you very very much to everyone who's already donated.

I'm on my way home right now so I'll post pictures of John O'Groats tomorrow.

Somewhere in the middle of nowhere

This is the bleakest part of the walk so far. I'm in the middle of miles of marshy ground. There are hills and a forest in the distance where I hope to find some dry land to camp on. There's no civilisation for forty miles from Helmsdale to the place on the coast tomorrow - I've forgotten its name. Then I head east towards John O'Groats. I've added twenty miles to my route going this way but I'd had enough of walking along the A9.
I stayed in a B&B last night because the weather was so bad and the Youth Hostel was taken up by a large party. It was good to have a bath for a change. There's lots of people on bikes doing LEJOG in two weeks (they do about 70 miles per day, I do about 20 on average). This is my ninth week, which is what I expected, so far so good. So, fingers crossed, I'll be at the top tip of the UK at the weekend.
Please keep donating and pass the message on: www.justgiving.com/andyroberts3 Thank you to everyone who's donated, it's all going to vital Leukaemia and Lymphoma Research in memory of James Neal, a very brave young man.

Last year in Scotland on the LDWA 100 miler



The hills are alive...

moors the merrier

oh look - it's raining again!

I

They're back..

...in the garden looking very pleased with themselves..

It wasn't my idea.....

where shall I escape to next........?

Andy will be back on Sunday. His dog may be back in Wales by then.

No sign of Nessie

Having escaped the Loch Ness monster I'm just passing the Cromarty Firth now. My wife says that's because she's got the monster at home - I have no idea what she means; do you Sal? I have heard you ran away round the village the other night and I'll need to get you back under control. It's understandable - I'd be missing me too. Not long now Sal.
Yesterday was lovely weather for a change - hoorah! Very warm and sunny; a different world to the rain I've been in.
Although I've decided I never want to stop at a Youth Hostel again after last night. I had to share a room with four other people who were drunk and noisy. I had a lot of busy road walking along an A road, which was not very pleasant and made my feet very sore. End of grumbles :o(
Today is fine again. I've just been to a lovely charity cafe place in Edmorton? (or something like that) where they plied me with cake and tea and then got a £25 donation together for our Leukaemia & Lymphoma Research funds - a big thank you to them :o)
Must carry on now as I want to reach Dornoch tonight. Here's a few pics to show you what you're missing.

A lovely view ......of a windfarm ...

The biggest cairns I've seen



views that make you go WOW!



for miles and miles (about 1000 so far!)





I'm being good really - don't listen to the stories

Some good spots for wild camping up here

The Great Glen Way

Well, here I am on the Great Glen Way (GGW). I've just left Fort William today, the end of the West Highland Way (WHW) and the start of the GGW. Camping at Loch Lochy tonight. There should be spectacular views, but it's raining a lot and I'm in my tent all zipped up. I have a wee dram of whisky for company this evening - I met a guy called Ian, who's doing the GGW, in the station at Fort William where I went for breakfast this morning and he's got a bottle of whisky in his rucksack!
Tomorrow I'll start walking along Loch Ness (better not have too much whisky or I might see Nessie); and I'll hit the 1000 mile mark!!! Yikes! I met another chap today who asked me and Ian where we had come from and when I said Land's End he thought I was kidding, then he said I was mad. I said I'm not mad, I'm raising money for Leukaemia and Lymphoma Research. Please urge anyone you can think of to donate www.justgiving.com/andyroberts3 or pledge sponsorship on a form. Thank you so much to everyone who's donated - only two hundred miles to go!
Here's a few more piccies, including the reason I'm doing this:

James with Sir Ian Botham at a charity walk

I'm not allowed to swim

I can see for miles and miles

The green green grass...

They've got some strange sheep up here

Me and John Stenton in Ribblesdale

Still smiling, still raining

Just in case I get lost

Haven't you forgot something Andy?

A long way away....

I've seen some unusual homes on the way

And some I'd like to try



An Englishman's home is his castle



But his wife prefers a thatched cottage



That would be cheating



Traquair to Loch Lomond

I'm in Southern Scotland and heading across to the West Highland Way, which I'll follow to Fort William. Tonight I'm alongside Loch Lomond at a very busy campsite - oh joy, there's people planning a boozy party nearby - maybe I'll give them a shout when I leave about six in the morning - hee hee!! I need to get off early because it's hot and the midges come out in the afternoon. The West Highland Way is very busy. It's very different from previous days when I've not seen a soul (much prefer).
A few days ago I did a 27 mile day and actually did more than that because I went up the wrong hill (500ft) and had to come back and rejoin the right way. And where the walk was thickly wooded parts of the rights of way have been diverted because of fallen trees (during the windy weather last week) so it was a bit difficult as there were no paths. I got well and truly flummoxed.
There are wind farms everywhere you look and power stations on the Clyde visible from my walk. And I put my washing on a wooden fence and got a shock because there was an electric fence attached to it on the other side - ouch! - a lady from the riding school nearby came to see if I was OK; after she'd finished laughing!!
Walking all day is now 'normal' , I'm sleeping well, tired but happy :o)
Plodding along the Union Canal for a whole day; the Kilmarnock Wheel for lifting the boats uphill is amazing, but the long dark tunnel I had to walk through was spooky. I reached the West Highland Way on 1 June. On 2 June I reached Loch Lomond and follow that for next day or two.
I've met a man from Edinburgh Uni, originally from Hull, who's doing several marathons back to back to raise money for a children's hospice in Edinburgh. It's another reminder that there's a lot of poorly children who need our support. I gave him all my change. And his support vehicle people gave me some sponsorship too. Where's my support vehicle? Oh yes - it's on my back!
Well done to John for completing the 100 mile in 48 hours challenge - I knew you'd do it, you didn't have me to slow you down ;o)
A coal man doing a delivery to John O'Groats offered me lift - tempting...but I said no thank you.
My diary order might be bit muddled; I can't remember much about previous days, in fact I can hardly remember the start at all! Here's a few more pictures to show you where I've been:

You two are not sharing my tent! Rach and Jack came to see me :o)



Guess where this is?



Fabulous views

Hadrian's Wall won't stop me

A well earned cuppa!

Poser!

Thingy Force in Teesdale



Thank you for supporting Leukaemia and Lymphoma Research



Still smiling in the rain

Just about to leave Horton in Ribblesdale

Tan Hill - highest pub in Yorkshire - where my tent nearly blew away

Just a few more county boundaries to go!

Northumberland to the borders of Scotland

I stopped at Landsale Beck Youth Hostel in County Durham. Arrived at Alston Youth Hostel in the North Pennines 23 May. It's been raining darts all day, the wind is so strong. The drying room of the Youth Hostel is full of tents drying. That's a great advantage of Youth Hostels; thank goodness I joined the association again before this walk it's been great when it's really wet. I've lost my compass so I'm waiting for the shop in Alston to open to get a new one before I continue. I've walked for a few days with three 'lads' (about my age) who are doing the Pennine Way. Tomorrow I'll finish in Northumberland and if all goes to plan I'll be in Scotland Thursday or Friday.

And it did go to plan - from Alston to Twice Brewed (yes, that is a place), next day to Bellingham (familiar territory here) then on to Byrness and into Scotland. And only about 400 miles to go....

I have to send a huge apology to Buster and Sue because I'd forgotten I was supposed to meet them near Hebden (Sue was over there for her dad's birthday). They went to the campsite as arranged and found a small tent camped and shouted at me to come out. A voice said "It's not Roberts and I'm not coming out!" And then at Alston I met a man called Paul who was in his tent near Hebden when someone shouted at him....oops!...he thought it was rather funny!

My shins are playing up again so I might have a rest (Bellingham) as it's a good camp site (the same one I stayed on when I did the Pennine Way a few years ago.

I've met some guys doing the Pennine Way - Alistair has been keeping me company today. We've not seen anyone else all day. Alistair has carried on further than me as he wants to finish the PW by the weekend and go home. Paul (who met Buster and Sue) has done walking and climbing all over the world. And Michael just goes at his own pace; he's into yoga and meditation and goes around the world where he likes. There's two lads from Barnsley cycling around and just happen to have a car full of beers that we're all enjoying this evening. Better not have too many!

Only did 15 miles today. Stopped in Wark forest for a break and started seeing signs for a tearoom in the middle of the forest. It was a shed on a farm set up with a kettle and chocolate biscuits, tea bags and coffee. There was a price list and an honesty box, comfy seats and a visitors' book. It was very nice.

30 May in the borders of Scotland - lashing with rain again this morning. Windy but dry in the afternoon. Stunning views. A sort of bigger scale Yorkshire Dales (walking at about 2000ft). Rachael and Jack have been up to camp with me; it was great to see them and they brought me clean undies (I do wash them out - ok too much detail).

And best of luck to my mate John Stenton who should have completed the annual LDWA 100 miles in 48 hours challenge by now :o)

Lots of fundraising coming in - thank you all very, very much. Rachael did a bucket collection at the Winterton Fake Festival and got £45 - thank you everyone who donated there. And thanks to everyone who donated in the bucket at Metres to Miles shop in Epworth too.

That's all for now - must keep walking, and walking and walking...

Storms on the Pennines

Made good progress through Derbyshire and into Yorkshire. Met a man on a canal who showed me round his boat - I want to live on a canal boat! Followed the Staffordshire Way for a while and then on to the Pennine Way and more familiar territory (I walked the Pennine Way a few years ago).
Stuart and Joanne, James' mum and dad, met me on Sunday 15 May on the Pennines off the M62. Stuart picked the worst weather of my walk so far to walk with me. As Jo said "it's raining sideways". The wind was wicked and the rain was wet; we got soaked through to our undies :o(
Jo waited for us in Hebden Bridge. A nice lazy afternoon for her - until the police knocked on her window and woke her up to find out what she was up to! There had been a number of burglaries in the area she was parked in and they thought she might be the getaway vehicle!
I was due to meet my wife the next night but as I was having a problem with my shins Stu and Jo kindly took me up to Askrigg in the Yorkshire Dales and I had a couple of days off to fix it. Many thanks to Jo and Stu for your support there :o) I was ready for the rest.
Dianne then took me back to Hebden Bridge on Wednesday and I set off again. Guess what? It was wet rain again! I camped that night and packed up my soaking wet tent next morning.
I've camped on quite a few farm front lawns in the last couple of weeks. None more friendly than a couple I met in the Derbyshire Dales who live in a modest barn with no electricity or drinking water. They have sheep (for wool), goats (for milk) and chickens (for eggs), all with names; they gave me a cooked breakfast to send me on my way too. Maybe I'll live in a barn instead of a narrow boat. There was one not so friendly who said 'we don't want your sort here' and shut his door in my face (OK I do look a bit like a vagabond after a few days in my tent)
I met Dianne and her dad again in Horton in Ribblesdale and said bye bye to them on Friday morning as I set off with my friend, John Stenton (who does the Long Distance Walkers' 25, 50 and 100 milers with me), for Hawes. A much better day, cloudy but bright and we reached the Youth Hostel at Hawes in an easy day. Went for a pint or two and a bar meal. I'm now HALF WAY to John O'Groats (done 612 miles at Hawes)
It's back to 'Billy no mates' on Saturday as I set off over Shunner Fell and Kisdon Hill to Keld. Then beyond there to Tan Hill, the highest pub in England (and the bleakest and windiest and wettest - again!!) OMG - It got so bad during the night that I packed my rucksack at 2.30am ready to abandon my tent before it blew away - I really thought it was going to take off with me in it! Today I'm heading for Middleton - in - Teesdale and a youth hostel just beyond in Baldersdale to dry everything out (please let them have room for me). It's very, very windy.
Here's a few more pictures:

Offa's Dyke

Crossing from England into Wales

Lord Hereford's Knob, near Hay on Wye

Getting powered up!

My dream home..(Keep dreaming - Di)

Ironbridge

Now where have I seen that face before?

Storm brewing

More wet stuff ahead

Somewhere over the rainbow.....is John O'Groats...

This is a real heron Rachael

Top Withins (Wuthering Heights)

Stoodley Pike - well done Stu it was the worst weather day ever

Malham Cove - can you spot the falcons?

Pen Y Ghent and Ingleborough

Ready for a mug of tea at the Pen y Ghent cafe - who are these two dogs?

And who's this funny fella?

Ready for off, from Horton to Hawes HALFWAY!!!!