Don't be fooled by the title. 'Le Jog' is not a corruption of the phrase 'walk in the park'. Anything but that. LEJOG is synonymous with a 'once in your lifetime experience'. A heroic ride, mostly linked to a good cause. But what is it then? LEJOG is a challenge like no other. It is short for Land's End to John O'Groats. Anyone who picks up the map of England gets it right away. You go from the southernmost point in Cornwall, Land's End, to the northernmost point in Scotland, John O'Groats. The damage at the end of the ride? About 1,600 kilometres, more than 14,000 (!) altimeters, probably a few refreshing English showers and stories to talk about for years to come.
Create your own route
Although the starting point and finishing point are the same, there is no fixed route for doing this monster ride. There is also no timetable, nor fixed stages. LEJOG is really your challenge, your project. Sounds almost like you'll be doing a construction market with it. The shortest 'end to end' route is 900 miles, or 1433 kilometres. You then drive the most direct route, with no deviations because of interesting highlights, or detours because of an overnight stop.
From sunny south to wet north
You wouldn't know it, but England and specifically the parts of Cornwall and Devon are sunnier than Paris. They are also at the same altitude as the crow flies, but have completely different climates. If you start LEJOG, you will be impressed by the Cornish countryside. It is rugged, special really unlike anything else. Soon you will pass ancient ruins, pretty towns along the coast and over the hills. That also makes this part of LEJOG the toughest. In this route, we take in a bit of the Cornwall Area Of Natural Beauty. Here, you also pass the village of Minions. Often worthy of a photo anyway. Soon after, you arrive in Devon.
Devon
Dartmoor National Park and Devon are siamese twins. They are often mentioned in the same breath, and rightly so. But there is more that makes this region beautiful. On the Cornish border, you'll find Tamar Valley, another stunning part of England. In Tavistock, you can stop at the Queen's head for refreshments before quickly setting sail for Dartmoor. There are several variations through the park, or along the edges. We opted for the straight line towards Exeter. You'll also pass through Mortonhampstead here. There you'll find a fine, cycle-friendly coffee shop and ice cream bar. Cycling Destination Approved!
Somerset
From Devon, we continue through Somerset, another region often featured in the BBC's 'Escape to the Country' programme. We choose a route through Blackdawn Hills, another beautiful nature reserve. Here is also the Wellington Monument, a nice stop to take in some history. In Somerset, you have the beautiful Cheddar Gorge, which we also included in our route. It is one of the highlights of this region. If you want a little detour, a trip to Glastonbury is an option. Not only because of the music festival, but also because of Glastonbury Tor.
Bristol - Clifton Suspension Bridge
You can't do LEJOG without driving through Bristol. At least, unless you like to add miles to the total. But straight through a start need not even be a punishment. After all, Bristol has the Clifton Suspension Bridge, a stunning piece of architecture that immediately puts a diversion away as 'not necessary'. If you do want an alternative route, drive via Bath, one of Somerset's prettier spots. From here, you follow the Welsh-English border for a bit.
Herefordshire
We now dive into Herefordshire. Here you can beautifully follow the River Wye. Once again, the Wye valley is an 'area of outstanding natural beauty'. There are lots of those in England. This is a gem though and could be described as quintessentially English. A small river with old villages along it, carrying the typical English atmosphere. You drive here at the level of our own little country, so take into account the same inviting weather conditions.
Shropshire
Another beautiful county. When you reach Shropshire, you are at about 1/3 of the total route to JOG. Shropshire is known for its beautiful lanes, but also for the Burway. A beautiful, but painfully tough climb. A typical English climb. Short, fierce and with a bit of bad luck you'll have a wet suit. On the other hand, you do have beautiful views as a reward.
Cheshire
In this smaller county, you will mainly want to stop in Chester and look around. In our route, we actually drive right through the county and you'll mainly see the landscape, the canals and (waterways) and also the various castles and mansions you pass will definitely be worth a stop.
Merseyside - Greater Manchester
The urban conurbations of Liverpool and Manchester are something of a roadblock that you have to manoeuvre between. Not the most pleasant part of the route, but yes. Alternatively, you could take the diversion towards the Peak District can make. Do bear in mind that you will be doing a lot of extra kilometres (50) and a whole lot of extra altimeters. The investment is well worth considering in terms of beauty and beautiful climbs, but if you are already going to cover over 1,500 kilometres, with 16,000 altimeters in it, it is not a simple choice. One of the highlights on this route: the Merseyway bridge and the viewpoint we linked to it.
Lancashire
The county above Liverpool and Manchester is an old industrial region that can now sometimes seem a little deserted and desolate. That said, there are plenty of beautiful places to explore. If you make a stop, Preston is a great place to stay. In our route, we drive around the town, via Belmont, mainly because of the natural sights. It's a lot more rugged in that region and the scenery colours beautifully with the seasons. Which says it all: LEJOG is a challenge like no other, also because it is different every day of the year.
Second part of the route - Lake District - Yorkshire Dales - Cairngorms
Fores of Bowland - Yorkshire Dales
Just above Preston you will enter the playground of your LEJOG adventure. The Bowland forest also known as the Bowland fells is already a beautiful setting where you will mostly hear the click of your camera. Here you cross the border from Lancashire towards Yorkshire. You could make the choice to also take a corner of the Yorkshire Dales take away
Kirkstone pass - Lake District
Lejog is a challenge like no other, precisely because you keep going up and down, but also because you have to brave different weather conditions. The beauty of it is that you encounter new landscapes every time. Because once you cross the halfway point, you pass through the beautiful Lake District. Kirkstone pass is a fantastic English hill. The Lake District has some beautiful and challenging hills anyway.
Edinburgh
Once you are here: allow yourself a day in this beautiful city. In the itinerary, we include the climb to Arthur's seat, where at the top you have majestic views of the surrounding area, including the beautiful coastline. In the city itself you have Edinburgh Castle, the pretty streets, Stockbridge market (on Sundays) and the genial Scots who will always help you if you have any problems. Just want to stop for a coffee/picnic? We'll lead you past 'The Meadows', a large park where you can sit and relax.
Further north
Faskally woods
Driving through the Scottish landscapes is beautiful, and if you pay attention you will see a sign Faskally Woods. This region is great for walking and even MTBing, but if you are doing the LEJOG you can stop here for a drink or lunch, for example, depending on day and time of course. The lakes in the forest offer a beautiful backdrop.
Cairngorms
Previously, we wrote about Cairngorms in Scotland. This stretch of the British island is spectacular. For the LEJOG route, it is difficult to include all the highlights of this National Park. But it is an absolute must to add at least part of it to your LEJOG route. Just be aware that you won't necessarily cycle flat here, and you should keep in mind that you are in a desolate part of Scotland here. The surroundings make any potential issues 'go away quickly'.
Inverness - the final stretch
Inverness is a point you can't ignore. You cross the water here via the beautiful castle and then you are at the final stretch of the route. Mind you, here you still have almost 250 kilometres ahead of you. So don't cheer too soon. You're also driving into very quiet territory now, but on the way to John O'Groats you'll come across plenty of pubs and stops where you can have a chat with the locals. In Invreran and in Lairg are prime examples. You follow the route of the EUROVELO 12 for a long time here. This 'North Sea Cycle Route' also runs through the Netherlands and is truly a monster ride to ride.
Loch Naver, almost there
A little further on, you drive along the shores of Loch Shin, an elongated lake in the Scottish Highlands. Driving around here is absolutely fantastic. In Crask Inn you can stop nicely for a drink and a bite to eat, before rolling on over the hills and along the edge of Loch Naver. Through hamlets like Syre, Skail and Rhifail, you work your way up towards Scotland's north coast. Once there, it's in a straight line to John O'Groats.
John O'Groats - The end of the world
The northernmost tip of the 'mainland'. John O'Groats. It's where the journey ends. Wherever everyone takes the photo with the 'pole'. Because really, it's not much more. From here you can go even further north, to the Orkney and Shetland Islands. Like you wanna ride that pony then. Better to make your camp there and enjoy what you've achieved. Because on the route we marked, you will have had 1,570 kilometres and 16,000 altimeters. What. One. Trip.
Organised or alone
Do you also want to experience this crazy adventure? You can, of course, plan it all by yourself. Keep in mind that it will take you between 14 and 21 days, depending on fitness, weather, setbacks, etc. In that, include the trip to Cornwall and the return journey from Scotland, as that's an extra two to three days as well. In any case, planning this adventure is an experience in itself. Because as mentioned at the beginning, there is no one set route. There are several routes that are known.
