Jogle Day 1: 130 Miles. John O’Groats to Alness.

5.00am: Our four fresh faced ‘kings of the road’ emerge to meet the first of the nine days of cycling from John O’Groats to Lands End with a mixture of naïve enthusiasm & healthy trepidation.

For the next 130 miles facing extremely strong headwinds, phrases such as ‘barbaric’ and ‘nightmarish’ would be heard ringing through the glens & lochs of the Scottish Highlands.

The route took us through some of the most beautiful scenery that the Highlands have to offer. From vast lochs surrounded by heather covered hills & forests to the prettiest of single track roads winding past remote farms & crofts.

Taking stops every 20 miles or so to ‘carb up’ & rehydrate, the boys did a remarkable job in ever changing weather, from bright sun to drizzling rain, to 30 mph headwinds.

Arriving at our Lodge a full 12 hours after leaving this morning, a large curry was washed down with a couple of well-earned beers.

A 5.00am alarm in the morning signals the start of day 2, hopefully wind won’t be such a problem. That said, a lot of curry was consumed!