LEJOG - Days 1 & 2

Lands End - long way to go

No pics available as I can't download them as I was able to do on trans am.

This diary account is primarily for my own record purposes.

Left the Penzance B & B at 9 and got to LE at 11. Took the straightforward but quite busy route, spent an hour there took the obligatory photos, put the odometer back to zero and took off .

Switched on the brilliant Satmap device which Johannes found for me and which Jane had pre mapped  and loaded my route to JoG. Worked a treat. Set off with some considerable alarm a mile out of LE on the quietest most unlikely looking country single track road. I needn't have worried . The device did it all for me then and continued to do so until near the end of the day ; I was tired and prob  pressed the wrong button. Mini disaster I prob did an extra 5 miles and a huge down and up again quite needlessly.

A lovely, but v hilly route and on back roads almost the whole 65 miles. Weather good - much sun , good wind from NW and no rain. Found a good campsite to SW of St Austell  Sun Valley , got there just before dark at 6.45 , pitched Johannes's tent , lit the stove and had a Tiso "bag". One of my caravan neighbors came over and offered my a large and quite delicious hot dog. What lovely people you meet.


Day 2 didn't begin well. As I was packing up at 7.30ish , the heavens opened. And sadly just before I got the tent down . So set off with a saturated and v heavy tent and a variety of wet clothes. Found comfort in a good bakery to E of St Austell and had a substantial carb and cholesterol loaded breakfast and gallons of tea. Set me up well for one of the hardest days cycling I've ever had. See  Day 2 of the following website if you want to follow route  -  http://www.pewseys.co.uk/lejog_GPS.htm

Sat map battery gave out on me within an hour  ( have noted to make sure charged every night ) and made a navigational error early on doing about  400 feet of climbing  and 5 miles that I needn't have done.  Rolling hills and some very substantial hills all day . Limped in to Okehampton at  7 ( the last 5 miles on a brilliant dedicated cycle path )  and found by chance this fabulous YH  in one of the converted railway station buildings. 58 miles . Room to myself , locked bike shed , superb drying room , good kitchen facilities ( a Tiso bag again - I might get tired of these ) , luxurious shower , hired towel for a quid ,  and washing machine ( the delightful warden offered to throw in my grubby collection with a load of the YH washing . Brilliant  . Also free wi-fi . Campsite charged me £10 for the tent site and £6 for. wi-fi !

Leaving Keith & Fiona's in Edinburgh bound for the station and train to Penzance - 2nd attempt

 Youth Hostel at Okehampton

Tomorrow should make it somewhere towards Bristol . Hoping to meet up with Ken Temple ( who did trans am on his own last year and introduced to me by Mike and Joan who teamed up with them for quite a large segment of it) .